About Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) Pattern
Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are a group of autoantibodies that target contents of the cell nucleus. ANA patterns refer to the specific manner in which these antibodies bind to tissues, often evaluated using immunofluorescence. Different ANA patterns can suggest different autoimmune diseases, aiding in the differential diagnosis of conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome, and scleroderma.
Reference Values
Optimal Range
Not specified
Elite Value
Not specified
Health Implications
High
Elevated levels may indicate autoimmune conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or scleroderma, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues.
Low
Low levels may be associated with an unlikely presence of autoimmune diseases and generally do not pose significant health risks unless accompanied by other abnormal clinical findings.
Symptoms
High
May include fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, fevers, and swelling
Low
Can include dizziness, muscle weakness, cold extremities, and general discomfort
Lifestyle Factors
Specimen Type
Testing Methods
Also Known As
Scientific Sources
- Agmon-Levin, N., Damoiseaux, J., Kallenberg, C., Sack, U., Witte, T., Herold, M., Bossuyt, X., & Shoenfeld, Y. (2014). International recommendations for the assessment of autoantibodies to cellular antigens referred to as anti-nuclear antibodies. *Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases*, 73(1), 17–23.
- Mariz, H. A., Sato, E. I., Barbosa, S. H., Rodrigues, S. H., Dellavance, A., & Andrade, L. E. (2011). Pattern on the antinuclear antibody–HEp-2 test is a critical parameter for discriminating antinuclear antibody–positive healthy individuals and patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. *Arthritis & Rheumatism*, 63(1), 191–200.
- Damoiseaux, J., Andrade, L. E. C., Carballo, O. G., Conrad, K., Francescantonio, P. L. C., Fritzler, M. J., Garcia-De La Torre, I., Herold, M., Klotz, W., Cruvinel, W. M., & others. (2015). Clinical relevance of HEp-2 indirect immunofluorescent patterns: The International Consensus on ANA Patterns (ICAP) perspective. *Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases*, 74(3), 635–641.
- Chan, E. K. L., Damoiseaux, J., Carballo, O. G., Conrad, K., de Melo Cruvinel, W., Francescantonio, P. L. C., Fritzler, M. J., Garcia-De La Torre, I., Herold, M., Klotz, W., & others. (2016). Report of the first international consensus on standardized nomenclature of antinuclear antibody HEp-2 cell patterns 2014–2015. *Frontiers in Immunology*, 7, 412.
- Andrade, L. E. C., Klotz, W., Herold, M., Conrad, K., Rönnelid, J., Fritzler, M. J., & Damoiseaux, J. (2018). International consensus on antinuclear antibody patterns: Definition of the AC-29 pattern associated with anti-Ku antibodies. *Lupus*, 27(8), 867–872.