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ana titers

what are ana titers mines was 1;160  what does this mean?  is it real serious that dr said it's probably nothing but she wants the medical or rhumatologist dr to check it as well as my thyroid she said they saw an enhancement on the mri
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667078 tn?1316000935
My high ANA along with my LP supported my MS diagnosis. They had to rule out Lupus.

Alex
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1831849 tn?1383228392
Hi DT,

This is a pretty old thread. Many of the original contributors my no longer visit the forum. You may want to ask your question, and introduce your self by using the Post A Question function at the top of the page.

As to your question, no, A positive ANA does not indicate anything other than the presence of autoantibodies. Some level os autoantibodies is normal. Higher readings can have many other causes. The ANA test is used to support other findings like MRI, LP, and clinical evaluation.

Kyle
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Avatar universal
Can a positive
ana and a speckled pattern indicate MS.  Thanks
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572651 tn?1530999357
... from my favorite web source labstestsonline  .  o r g   You may want to go there and read all about the test. I hope this helps you a bit.  Lulu  

What is being tested?
The ANA test identifies the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in the blood. ANA is a group of special antibodies produced by a patient’s immune system when it fails to adequately distinguish between “self” and “nonself." These autoantibodies attack the body’s own cells, causing signs and symptoms such as tissue and organ inflammation, joint and muscle pain, and fatigue. The presence of ANA is a marker of an autoimmune process and is associated with several autoimmune disorders but is most commonly seen in the autoimmune disorder systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

How is it used?
The ANA test is ordered to help screen for autoimmune disorders and is most often used as one of the tests to diagnose systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Depending on the patient’s symptoms and the suspected diagnosis, ANA may be ordered along with one or more other autoantibody tests. Other laboratory tests associated with presence of inflammation, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and/or C-reactive protein (CRP) may also be ordered. ANA may be followed by additional tests that are considered subsets of the general ANA test and that are used in conjunction with the patient’s clinical history to help rule out a diagnosis of other autoimmune disorders.


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When is it ordered?
The ANA test is ordered when a patient shows signs and symptoms that are associated with SLE or another autoimmune disorder. It may also be ordered when a patient has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and the doctor suspects that the patient may have developed an additional autoimmune disorder. Patients with autoimmune disorders can have a wide variety of symptoms such as low-grade fever, joint pain, fatigue, and/or unexplained rashes that may change over time.


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What does the test result mean?
ANA tests are performed using different assays (indirect immunofluorescence microscopy or by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay - ELISA) and results are reported as a titer with a particular type of immunofluroscence pattern (when positive). Low-level titers are considered negative, while increased titers, such as 1:320, are positive and indicate an elevated concentration of antinuclear antibodies.
ANA shows up on indirect immunofluorescence as fluorescent patterns in cells that are fixed to a slide that is evaluated under a microscope. Different patterns are associated with a variety of autoimmune disorders. Some of the more common patterns include:


Homogenous (diffuse) - associated with SLE and mixed connective tissue disease
Speckled - associated with SLE, Sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma, polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, and mixed connective tissue disease
Nucleolar - associated with scleroderma and polymyositis
Outline pattern (peripheral) -associated with SLE
An example of a positive result might be: “Positive at 1:320 dilution with a homogenous pattern.”

A positive ANA test result may suggest an autoimmune disease, but further specific testing is required to assist in making a final diagnosis. ANA test results can be positive in people without any known autoimmune disease. While this is not common, the frequency of a false positive ANA result increases as people get older.

Also, ANA may become positive before signs and symptoms of an autoimmune disease develop, so it may take time to tell the meaning of a positive ANA in a person who does not have symptoms. Most positive ANA results don't have significance, so physicians should reassure their patients but should also still be vigilant for development of signs and symptoms that might suggest an autoimmune disease.

About 95% of SLE patients have a positive ANA test result. If a patient also has symptoms of SLE, such as arthritis, a rash, and autoimmune thrombocytopenia, then he probably has SLE. In cases such as these, a positive ANA result can be useful to support SLE diagnosis. Two subset tests for specific types of autoantibodies, such as anti-dsDNA and anti-SM, may be ordered to help confirm that the condition is SLE.

A positive ANA can also mean that the patient has drug-induced lupus. This condition is associated with the development of autoantibodies to histones, which are water soluable proteins rich in the amino acids lysine and arginine. An anti-histone test may be ordered to support the diagnosis of drug-induced lupus.

Other conditions in which a positive ANA test result may be seen include:

Sjögren’s syndrome: Between 40% and 70% of patients with this condition have a positive ANA test result. While this finding supports the diagnosis, a negative result does not rule it out. The doctor may want to test for two subsets of ANA: Anti-SS-A (Ro) and Anti-SS-B (La). The frequency of autoantibodies to SSA in patients with Sjögren’s can be 90% or greater.
Scleroderma: About 60% to 90% of patients with scleroderma have a positive ANA finding. In patients who may have this condition, ANA subset tests can help distinguished two forms of the disease, limited versus diffuse. The diffuse form is more severe. Limited disease is most closely associated with the anticentromere pattern of ANA staining (and the anticentromere test), while the diffuse form is associated with autoantibodies to the anti–Scl-70.
A positive result on the ANA also may show up in patients with Raynaud’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, mixed connective tissue disease, and other autoimmune conditions.

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Avatar universal
I have a ana of 1:160 Titer, my doctor has not called me and explained anything to me.  What does this mean?  Whats wrong with me?
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your responses

Heather you are such a sweet person, you guys hang in there as well.  

Thanks for being here all of you
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195469 tn?1388322888
PlateletGal is exactly correct.  My ANA is 1:160 by the way.  I am diagnosed with MS, but other disorders like any other inflammatory disorder can cause a positive titer.

Your doctor is doing the proper searching.  With a positive MRI, I think your doctor will be doing other tests to determine the case.

Hang in there.   We are with you every step of the way!

Heather
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Avatar universal

Fortunately your ANA titer right now is on the lower side. Depending on your medical history, a positive ANA titer could indicate an autoimmune disease or very rarely, another illness. However, there are healthy people who have a positive ANA titer for unknown reasons.
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