Help! ...

[patmackfin]

Hi, I jumped over her from the PA society page.I was diagnosed with b12 deficiency in March this year,and am being treated.

My doctor never said anything,but can anyone tell me from experience if these blood test results suggest Lupus,or do they just mean "Autoimmune" Pernicious Anemia? I really appreciate your help.

Thanks in Advance

[nerossa]

A positive ANA is one of several markers relating to a Lupus diagnosis but on its own isn't significant enough and can indicate other conditions. A positive ANA and a positive Ds-dna would be more suggestive of Lupus, however, it doesn't exclude Lupus either. There are an established set of criteria for a Lupus diagnosis: What are the diagnostic criteria for lupus?

To help the doctors diagnose lupus, a list of 11 common criteria, or measures, was developed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). ACR is a professional association of rheumatologists. These are the doctors who specialize in treating diseases of the joints and muscles, like lupus. If you have at least four of the criteria on the list, either at the present time or at some time in the past, there is a strong chance that you have lupus.

Malar rash – a rash over the cheeks and nose, often in the shape of a butterfly

Discoid rash – a rash that appears as red, raised, disk-shaped patches

Photosensitivity – a reaction to sun or light that causes a skin rash to appear or get worse

Oral ulcers – sores appearing in the mouth

Arthritis – joint pain and swelling of two or more joints in which the bones around the joints do not become destroyed

Serositis – inflammation of the lining around the lungs (pleuritis) or inflammation of the lining around the heart that causes chest pain which is worse with deep breathing (pericarditis)

Kidney disorder – persistent protein or cellular casts in the urine

Neurological disorder – seizures or psychosis

Blood disorder – anemia (low red blood cell count), leukopenia (low white blood cell count), lymphopenia (low level of specific white blood cells), or thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)

Immunologic disorder –anti-DNA or anti-Sm or positive antiphospholipid antibodies

Abnormal antinuclear antibody (ANA)

Medically reviewed on July 25, 2013