Now for the rest of the story.

[Gatorchief]

The rest of my test results were posted this morning on my blood lab report. The ANA SCREEN , IFA , w/REFL TITTER and Pattern were Positive.

ANA TITTER high at 1:320

Nuclear Nucleolar pattern

scleroderma , polymyositis , and Sjögren’s syndrome

ANA TITER low 1:40 Nuclear Speckled can be associated with lupus , Sjögren’s syndrome , and polymyositis.

After an internet search at John Hopkins lupus center they divided the high and low titter groups >1:620 high and < 1:620 as low because of the number of people who don’t have autoimmune disease at 1:320 and lower. I guess the appointment with the rheumatologist is will give me some detailed answers. Crazy thing is 6 months ago those test were all negative. Anyone here dealing with these kind of tests? Everything else that was tested was in range .

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Unlikely on here - you might get some enlightenment on the LupusUK forum as I think ANA is done for a lot of the things that gravitate there. If I remember rightly, ANA can fluctuate and switch between positive and negative, sometimes as symptoms improve/worsen over a short time. This makes interpretation difficult obviously.

Have you had a creatine kinase test done at any point?

[Gatorchief in reply to PMRpro]

Yes Creatinine Kinase was done 5 months ago and it was in range .73 Reference .70 - 1.28

This test just Creatinine was done and it was in range too at .73 again. Has PMR been linked to a ant specific autoimmune disease?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Gatorchief]

PMR probably IS an autoimmune disorder - as is GCA. It is certainly an autoinflammatory one.

Creatine kinase, not creatinine: creatine kinase breaks down creatine and forms creatinine as a byproduct.

Creatine kinase is raised in myositis but not in PMR so can be used to distinguish between them. the symptoms can be similar.

[Gatorchief]

then this test would be consistent with PMR?

Creatinine Kinase Test

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Gatorchief]

Yes - unlikely to be myositis. But still other things it could be.

[Gatorchief in reply to PMRpro]

Just had a question about the GCA . Does it cause antibodies to show up on the ANA tests? I’ve been probing the Lupus posts and many of the people there have not been able to get a diagnosis for years, even with positive ANA tests and several symptoms. As I have said, 3 months ago my ANA test were all negative as that’s about the time my suspected PMR started getting severe. Then .3 months later the high ESR and CRP numbers but negative ANA panel. So many of the autoimmune diseases have similar symptoms no wounded it’s hard to diagnosis them.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Gatorchief]

No. It isn't part of the criteria and it is only one of a range of building blocks in a diagnosis of anything. Even healthy people can show a positive ANA.

mayoclinic.org/tests-proced....

You might find this interesting though

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...

[Gatorchief]

Thank you for the study on the GCA and MPA. The patients symptoms are very similar to mine ( ANA 1:320) except the p-ANCA . My pattern is Nuclear Speckled and Nuclear Nucleolar? I have had some urinary problems for sometime time now ( foaming urine that come and goes ) but GP hasn’t done a protein test yet as kidney and liver functions are good.

The two different Vasculitis diseases are very interesting and I have downloaded the case study and will ask the rheumatologist about that possibility next week when I finally get my appointment with her.