Anti Nuclear Antibody-IFA Test

Antinuclear Antibody test is a primary test used to find out if a person has any autoimmune disorder like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis that affects many healthy proteins or tissues and organs throughout the body. This blood test is also very often used to diagnose systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Depending on the patient’s symptoms, some other tests will be run to find out what exactly is the problem behind. The ANA IFA test helps to evaluate a person is exposed to autoimmune disorders which affect many tissues and organs throughout the body. IFA is considered as the gold standard.

ANA IFA test needs no special requirements. This test needs a sample of your blood. Wear a dress fit that fairly helps the lab technicians to easily collect the blood sample. Any medications being used are to be listed and shared with your doctor to avoid any conditions that may affect the accuracy of the test.

The results of the tests are expressed as ratios called titers, a measurement ratio which is often thought of as the lowest dilution of the substance. The different patterns that may be noticed have different autoimmune disorders. Some of the patterns include: Associated with SLE: Homogenous (diffuse)— mixed connective tissue disease, and drug-induced lupus Speckled — Sjögren syndrome, scleroderma, polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, and mixed connective tissue disease Nucleolar—associated with scleroderma and polymyositis Centromere pattern (peripheral)—associated with scleroderma and CREST Nuclear Dot or Nuclear GP210 - coilin Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Because of the frequency of increase of ANA with age there are chances of false positives and such instances are more common in women in men.

Collect a sample of the blood onto a slide on which antibodies of the cells are fixed. Name the slide with the patient’s name. Now the antibodies that may be present in the collected patient’s blood react with the cells on the slide and this slide is now treated with a fluorescent antibody reagent and is then examined under a microscope. The presence of the fluorescent along with its pattern is noted.