Anti Nuclear Antibody, EIA
Understanding Anti Nuclear Antibody, EIA
What is Anti Nuclear Antibody, EIA?
Anti Nuclear Antibody, EIA (ANA) test is used to detect the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in blood. ANAs are antibodies that cause disease by attacking healthy cells and tissues. The ANAs can cause damage to the joints, skin, muscles, and many other parts of the body. This test is suggested for people at risk or having autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), etc.
Most people may have a minor percentage of ANA in their blood but having too much of it can be a sign of an autoimmune disease. The ANA levels also tend to increase with certain medications and age. A positive ANA test alone can’t diagnose a specific disease, further testing is also needed to know the underlying cause.
What is Anti Nuclear Antibody, EIA used for?
· To determine the presence of an autoimmune disease like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
· To evaluate the possible presence of autoimmune Connective Tissue Disorders (CTDs) other than SLE such as Polymyositis, Scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome etc.
Interpreting Anti Nuclear Antibody, EIA results
Interpretations
Results are provided as positive/negative or with an index value against a cutoff value.
A positive ANA test can also be seen in healthy individuals, particularly the elderly or in diseases other than Connective Tissue Disorders (CTD), where it has no diagnostic value.