In healthy individuals the frequency of ana did not differ significantly across the 4 age subgroups spanning 20 60 years of age. What are the normal ana blood test ranges.
The Initial Manifestations And Final Diagnosis Of Patients With High And Low Titers Of Antinuclear Antibodies After 6 Months Of Follow Up Sciencedirect
In the ana lab test the results are reported as a titer.
Ana test results range. But having a positive result doesn t mean you have a disease. The ana test can also give a false negative result. However a test result ranging between 1 40 1 60 is considered to be negative and is not a cause of concern.
3 0 5 9 u is positive. Many people with no disease have positive ana tests particularly women older than 65. The presence of antinuclear antibodies is a positive test result.
Let s look at a result expressed as 1 320. Lab analysis of ana blood tests. Different connective tissue diseases are associated with a different frequency of ana positivity see the image below.
Antinuclear antibodies ana are a group of autoantibodies produced by a person s immune system when it fails to adequately distinguish between self and nonself the ana test detects these autoantibodies in the blood. Ultimately the ana result must be interpreted in the specific context of an individual patient s symptoms underlying medical conditions and other test results. Ana titers of less than or equal to 1 40 are considered negative even higher titers are often insignificant in patients over 60 years of age.
Ratios are obtained by diluting a portion of the blood sample with saline. A person may have a negative result but still have lupus especially the disease is in the early stages. Titers are expressed as ratios.
The normal range of ana blood test varies from laboratory to laboratory. Greater than or equal to 6 0 u is strongly positive. This putatively normal population was ana positive in 31 7 of individuals at 1 40 serum dilution 13 3 at 1 80 5 0 at 1 160 and 3 3 at 1 320.
Ana react with components of the body s own healthy cells and cause signs and symptoms such as tissue and organ inflammation joint and muscle pain and fatigue. Usually doctors get highly concerned if the ana test results are more than 1 80. Some infectious diseases and cancers have been associated with the development of antinuclear antibodies as have certain drugs.