Understanding Autoimmune Labs

An antinuclear antibody (ANA) test measures the amount and pattern of antibodies in your blood that work against your own body (autoimmune reaction). http://arthritis.webmd.com/antinuclear-antibodies-ana

The immune system makes an abundance of proteins called antibodies. Antibodies are made by white blood cells and they recognize and combat infectious organisms in the body. Sometimes these antibodies make a mistake, identifying normal, naturally-occurring proteins in our bodies as being "foreign" and dangerous. The antibodies that target “normal” proteins within the nucleus of a cell are called antinuclear antibodies (ANA). ANAs could signal the body to begin attacking itself which can lead to autoimmune diseases, including lupus, scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome, polymyositis/ dermatomyositis, mixed connective tissue disease, drug-induced lupus, and autoimmune hepatitis. A positive ANA can also be seen in juvenile arthritis. http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/diseases_and_conditions/ana.asp

TIPS:

1. The test is more accurate if fasting is done 10-12 hours before conducted.

2. Get a copy of the results.

3. Discuss them with both your Pediatrician and Specialist until you understand and are comfortable with the results.