What does a positive anti nuclear anti bodies test mean??

[ThyroidObsessed]

Anti nuclear anti bodies was tested along side a lot of other test related to the thyroid, although everything came back normal the anti nuclear antibodies came back positive??

[shaws Administrator]

This is an excerpt from the following link:

What Do My Results Mean?

Your test is positive if it finds antinuclear antibodies in your blood. A negative result means it found no ANAs.

A positive result may mean that you have an autoimmune disease such as lupus. That’s a disease that damages joints, skin, and other organs. About 95% of people with lupus will test positive for antinuclear antibodies.

A positive test result can also mean that you have one of these other autoimmune diseases:

Sjögren's syndrome -- a disease that causes joint damage, as well as dry eyes and mouth

Scleroderma -- a connective tissue disease

Rheumatoid arthritis -- this causes joint damage, pain, and swelling

Polymyositis -- a disease that causes muscle weakness

Mixed connective tissue disease -- a condition that has symptoms of lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis

Juvenile chronic arthritis -- a type of autoimmune arthritis that affects children

Dermatomyositis -- a rare disease that causes weak muscles and a rash

Polyarteritis nodosa -- a rare disease that causes the blood vessels to swell up and damage organs

Even if your ANA test result is negative, it's possible that you have an autoimmune disease. You might need other tests if your symptoms don't go away.

webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/wha...

[klr31]

I was told that it can mean nothing at all as parts of the population have this with no ill health. It can go alongside thyroid issues.

Karen