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Antinuclear Antibody-(ANA) Test

by | Sep 5, 2022 | Info | 0 comments

Antinuclear Antibody-(ANA) Test Overview

An antinuclear antibody (ANA) test is a blood test that looks for certain kinds of antibodies in your body. It’s also known as ANA or FANA (fluorescent antinuclear antibody) test.

Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system. They help the body recognize and fight infections. Usually, antibodies target harmful substances, such as bacteria and viruses, by activating the immune system to get rid of them.

But sometimes, your immune system can mistake parts of your own body for foreign invaders. It releases special antibodies, called “autoantibodies,” that attack your cells and tissues. Autoantibodies can damage your joints, skin, muscles, and other parts of the body.

When the body receives signals to attack itself, it can give rise to autoimmune diseases such as lupus, scleroderma, mixed connective tissue disease, autoimmune hepatitis, and others. Symptoms vary by disease, but they may include rashes, swelling, arthritis, or fatigue.

It’s normal to have some antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) but having too many of these proteins is a sign of an active autoimmune disease. An ANA panel helps determine the level of antinuclear antibodies in your blood.

You may have an autoimmune disorder if the level is high. Conditions such as infections, cancer, and other medical problems can also result in a positive ANA test.

High ANA levels can be a sign of the following autoimmune diseases:

Sometimes patients with cancer or patients taking certain medications test positive on an ANA test. Some individuals with no health conditions test positive on ANA tests.


When is an Antinuclear Antibody (ANA)Test Required?

A doctor will likely order an ANA panel if you have signs or symptoms of an autoimmune disease. An ANA test may indicate that you have some type of autoimmune condition, but it can’t be used to diagnose a specific disorder.

If your test comes back with a positive result, your doctor will need to do more specific and detailed testing to determine if an autoimmune disease is causing your symptoms.

Your healthcare provider may order an ANA test if you have following symptoms of an autoimmune disease:

  • A red rash on the cheeks and bridge of the nose that looks like a butterfly
  • Hair loss
  • Joint and muscle pain, stiffness or swelling
  • Tiredness and fatigue
  • Light sensitivity 
  • Numbness and tingling in the feet or hands 
  • Persistent or recurring fever
  • Weakness


Preparation for an Antinuclear Antibody (ANA)Test

Usually, no preparation is needed for the ANA test. However, it’s important to inform your healthcare provider about any medications or supplements that you’re taking, even over-the-counter ones. Some drugs, such as certain seizure and heart conditions, can affect the accuracy of the test.


Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Test Procedure

A lab technician will take a sample of your blood, usually from a vein in your arm. They’ll tie a band around the upper part of your arm to make your vein fill with blood and swell up. Then they’ll clean the area with an antiseptic and insert a needle into your vein. Your blood will collect into a vial or tube.

The blood test should only take a couple of minutes. After your blood is drawn, the needle and band will be removed, and you’ll get a piece of gauze and a bandage placed over the area.

The blood sample will be sent to a lab to be tested. The lab will check to see if there are antinuclear antibodies in your blood.

For infants or children, a lancet (small scalpel) may be used to puncture the skin, and blood may be collected in a small tube called a pipette. It may also be collected on a test strip.


Risks of Antinuclear Antibody Test

The risks of doing an ANA test are minimal. Patients with veins that are harder to access may experience more discomfort than others during the blood test. Other risks can include the following:

  • Bruising
  • Dizziness or fainting
  •  Excessive bleeding
  • Hematoma (blood building under the skin)
  • Infection at the puncture site
  • Soreness


Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Test Results

Your test is positive if it finds antinuclear antibodies in your blood. A negative test means that certain autoimmune diseases are less likely to be present. Other tests may still be needed based on the patient’s symptoms. Some patients with autoimmune diseases may get a negative test result for ANA but positive result for other antibodies.

A positive ANA test means that you have high levels of ANA in your blood. A positive ANA test is usually reported as both a ratio (called a titer) and a pattern, such as smooth or speckled. Certain diseases are more likely to have certain patterns.

The higher the titer, the more likely the result is a “true positive” result, meaning you have significant ANAs and an autoimmune condition.

For a ratio of 1:40 or 1:80, the possibility of an autoimmune disease is considered low. A ratio of 1:640 or greater indicates a high possibility of autoimmune disease, but results will need to be analyzed by a doctor and additional tests performed to draw a conclusion.

However, a positive result doesn’t always mean that the patient has an autoimmune disease. Up to 15 percent of completely healthy individuals have a positive ANA test. This is known as a false-positive test result.

ANA titers can also increase with age among healthy people, so it’s important to talk with a doctor about your symptoms and what your result means to you.

If your primary healthcare provider ordered the test, they may recommend a referral to a rheumatologist, or an autoimmune disease specialist, to review any abnormal ANA results. They can often help determine if your test results are related to a specific disease.

Diseases with Similar Symptoms

Following are some conditions that are associated with a positive ANA test:

If your ANA test comes back positive, your doctor will most likely run more tests in order to help determine if the results are related to a specific condition.

The ANA test is especially helpful in diagnosing lupus. More than 95 percent of patients with lupus will get a positive ANA test result. However, not everyone who gets a positive test result has lupus, and not everyone with lupus will have a positive test result. So the ANA test can’t be used as the only method of diagnosis.

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