What does speckled and 1.40 I'm still waiting for more results off my ana doctor has referred me to a rheumatologist.

[reeneroo]

Went to see my doctor today and he got a shock off the way my malar rash was could you guys give me some advice on my AnA results they say it's speckled and 1.40 I'm confused as to what it means and I'm still waiting for the rest of the result to come back.

[Purpletop]

ANA is an antibody created by the immune system to fight specific parts of own body cell. If it is found in the blood, then the result of the test is positive. The sample of blood is then diluted in a certain substance to be able to see it better. The number of times the sample has to be diluted gives you the titre (in your case 1:40). The higher the titre, the higher the density of antibodies in the sample. The way the antibodies appear or are distributed, gives you a pattern (in your case, speckled) that indicates the likely category of connective tissue diseases (of which lupus is one).

Some healthy people have a positive ANA too. But more often than not, this tells doctors that there could be an autoimmune process happening in the body, which is why they then make loads of other tests and focus on your symptoms.

The 1:40 titre is very low for lupus but your doctor will probably asses your overall symptoms to see if that's present. As you exhibit a facial rash, he might want to test that specifically to get a better understanding of what's causing it - blood tests aren't always conclusive.

Try not to panic until you have the full result and you've discussed it with your doctor.