ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) Test

An ANA test detects antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in your blood. Your immune system normally makes antibodies to help you fight infection. In contrast, antinuclear antibodies often attack your body's own tissues — specifically targeting each cell's nucleus. An ANA test is used to help diagnose autoimmune disorders, such as:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common type of lupus. Lupus is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that affects many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, and brain.
• Rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that mostly affects joints, causing pain and swelling often in the wrists, hands, and feet.
• Scleroderma, a rare disease that may affect the skin, blood vessels, and organs.
• Sjögren's syndrome, a rare disease that affects the glands that make tears and saliva (spit) and other parts of the body.
• Addison Disease, which affects your adrenal glands (glands on top of the kidneys), causing fatigue and weakness.
• Autoimmune hepatitis, which causes swelling in your liver.
• Thyroid diseases, which can cause your thyroid to make too much or too little thyroid hormones.An ANA test is used to help diagnose autoimmune disorders, such as:

🔍 What the positive result means?

The presence of antinuclear antibodies is a positive test result. But having a positive result doesn't mean you have a disease. Many people with no disease have positive ANA tests — particularly women older than 65.

Some infectious diseases and cancers have been associated with the development of antinuclear antibodies, as have certain drugs.

If your doctor suspects you have an autoimmune disease, he or she is likely to order a number of tests. The result of your ANA test is one piece of information your doctor can use to help determine the cause of your signs and symptoms.