Dear Doctor,
My daughter became quite ill with Fifth's Disease when she was 6 yrs. old. She had joint aches, mild fever, facial rash, and general fatigue. Bloodwork done showed positive for the parvo virus titer. But also had done ,with routine bloodwork, an ANA profile, which was very high, like in the 1000's. Her illness resolved itself in a few weeks and she's been fine since. She's now 13, and is very healthy, but since the ana was so high, my pediatrician has followed it yearly. It can be so high, like in the 1,000's to as low as 1:320. He is uncertain as to what this means, also, but feels someday she may develop some autoimmune type illness, such as lupus. Could you give me your opinions, and what course of action, if any, to take? I understand, that high ANA's are insignificant, if there are no other symptoms, but feel that this is so high, I should be doing more for her, like maybe a specialist? If there's any signifigance to this, I am white american, but my husband is Vietnamese. Also, does this mean she has a higher incidence of someday developing M.S.?
Thanks for any help
Christine G.