ANA test

[faithnhm333]

Hello everyone, has anyone had a ANA test with score of positive 1.8. Does it mean I have lupus.

[PMRpro]

Not necessarily - it is part of a much bigger picture that will have to be looked at. These may explain a bit:

rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Pat...

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

1:8 is positive but not particularly high I think - and could be due to other things as well. Just be patient (I know, it's easy for me to say).

[faithnhm333 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for your response. I will read up on it.

[faithnhm333]

Thanks for sharing, i will make sure i make note of this so that when i see the rheumatologist i can ask questions

[EOLHPC]

Yes: there are other tests:

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) apparently 'assay' is synonymous with analysis which is sort of another word for 'test'

Fluorescent antinuclear antibody assay (FANA or IFA...synonymous I think)

anti-double stranded deoxytribonucleic acid test (dsDNA)

(this is an excerpt from PMRpro's lab tests online link:

high level of anti-dsDNA is strongly associated with SLE and is often significantly increased during or just prior to an SLE flare-up. If the anti-dsDNA is positive and the person tested has other clinical signs associated with SLE, then there is a strong possibility that this is due to SLE.. This is especially true if an anti-Sm test is also positive.

A very low level of anti-dsDNA is considered negative but does not exclude a diagnosis of SLE. Only about 50-60% of those with SLE will have anti-dsDNA. Low to moderate levels of the autoantibody may be seen with other autoimmune disorders, such as Sjögren syndrome and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD).

Anti-dsDNA tests are semi-quantitative and may be performed using different assays. Many laboratories use an anti-dsDNA ELISA test (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay), a very reliable and sensitive test)

And related tests include:

anti-Sm antibodies

Sjögren's syndrome antigen (SSA, SSB)

Scl-70 antibodies

anti-centromere antibodies

anti-histone antibodies

anti-RNP antib

🍀🍀🍀🍀 coco

[EOLHPC]

Hello faith: GOOD QUESTION, thanks for this discussion: it's taken me some time to get the hang of interpreting ANA. the way our daily meds can affect ANA levels has especially perplexed me...

The links below seem the best for general info about these ANA tests...these are the tests that seem about the most relevant to SLE:

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Fluorescent antinuclear antibody (FANA or IFA...these seem to be synonymous)

anti-double stranded deoxytribonucleic acid (dsDNA)

I find that few websites do a really good job of explaining all this....and i feel understanding this stuff is important if your hospital tests results are always 'just' ELISA results (mine tend to be 😏).

emedicine.medscape.com/arti...

The other best explanation is the link PMRpro gives above:

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

the Lupus UK publication .'Lupus, the symptoms & diagnosis' is also helpful re ANA testing & results:

lupusuk.org.uk/publications/

🍀🍀🍀🍀 coco

[faithnhm333]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time out to respond and share your stories. God Blessings and healing

[lotsoissues]

When I first developed pain and fatigue, I had also developed lower limb edema and was constantly getting up at night to go to the bathroom...like seven times a night! Ana was positive 1:160 and antidsdna was positive at 1:40. Trace amounts of protein in urine were found but ruled to be due to a uti. I've had pleurisy twenty some years ago, lung nodules are seen on ct scan, esr and Crp are elevated, joint pain, muscle pain, extreme fatigue. I biopsied positive for psoriasis so doctors said it was psoriatic arthritis. I am not responding too well to the drugs for psoriatic arthritis but prednisone on the other hand at high levels (50 mg initially then taper down ) works well. I've seen four rheumatologists and one diagnosed psoriatic arthritis and the next one just piggy backed on the other ones diagnosis then the third had no idea and referred me to a hospital university setting and the final one is just going with the other two and says I can't expect too much relief in the way of treatment. I'm in Southern California and so confused, tired, miserable...

[faithnhm333 in reply to lotsoissues]

Im so sorry to hear you are going through so much right now. Try to think positive, i know its hard but try and God will do the remainder.May God heal You from the pain