Hair Loss Follow-up Appointment

The only thing that showed up in my lab tests that were ordered was a positive ANA at 1:160.  All other tests for liver, kidney, thyroid function are normal and I'm not anemic.  Is this a likely titer for people in the healthy population?  

The doctor thinks the positive titer is related to my MS.  Any thoughts?

[Quixotic1]

This is in contradiction to what I have said before, but there is a slight association between MS and a low-titer positive ANA.  In a study a decade ago they found that about a quarter of people with MS had a lo, positive titer on this test.  However, in longitudinal (over time) studies most people with MS and a pos ANA had their titer fluccucate or even go to normal.

A lo-positive ANA is not uncommon in the population, even in young girls.  The vast majority will now show up with an automimmune disease when followed over a decade or more.  The ANA is a test that uses a combination of several antibodies.  It is very non-specific and cross reacts with many diseases and the use of many meds.  In titers below 1:320 it is not a great marker, even for autoimmune disease.  But titers greater than 1:640 are usually associated with true autoimmune disease.

They have seen no special differences in the course of people with MS who have a low-positive titer of ANA over those that don't.

One thing that we have never spoken about is that in MS the central nervous system immune response shows an exaggerated and rather nonsensical production of many antibodies to many diseases, including measles, rubella, mumps, EBV, CMV and many others.  It appears to be part of the overactivity seen in the MS immune response.  The occasionally positive ANA is felt to be part of this "nonsense" production of antibodies.

So, your doc is likely right, but the ANA probably means nothing.

Quix

[Deb61]

Do you think this overactivity of antibodies causes some symptoms that aren't usually associated with MS?  I have a few symptoms that don't go along with MS--hair loss and Raynaud's.  I have even had problems, several years ago, with skin rashes, joint pain, and mouth sores.  I haven't even a hint of these problems in years.  It's like my body was confused on which autoimmune problem it had.  

[Quixotic1]

No, I don't.  This kind of antibody doesn't cause symptoms.

BTW - I had a horrid bout of hair loss last year that has not yet filled in.  I have also had isolated Raynaud's periodically since 1988.

That history of very autoimmune-sounding symptoms - not MS - may indeed by a flag to something else.  I wouldn't know quite what to make of it.

Quix

[Deb61]

I wonder how likely it is to have both a rheumatological autoimmune disease (like lupus or scleroderma) and MS.  Do you happen to know?  It doesn't seem that likely to me, but I do appear to symptoms of both diseases.  

Hopefully we'll all get answers at to what causes MS to answer questions like this.  I wonder how closely related all autoimmune diseases are with one another.

Thank you Quix

[mary_kay]

Regarding hair loss...I lost almost all of mine when I had chemo. It was already thin because of the typical post menapause thing.  When my hair started growing back from the chemo, it seemed even thinner than before, so I started using this stuff I had gotten a few years back in place of my shampoo.  It is polysorbate-80 sold by Vitamin Research Products (and probably others). I just use it instead of shampoo and massage it into my scalp everytime I shower.  Leave it on while you wash the rest of your body. It has a strange consistency, like glycerine, but don't worry, it does clean your hair and scalp. I can't believe how much thicker my hair started coming in!  It does take awhile, but it definitely does work.