Importance of antinuclear antibody test in the diagnosis of lupus erythematosus

Antinuclear antibody test to measure the amount of antinuclear antibodies, a sample of antibodies in the blood against the body (autoimmune response) helps diagnose systemic autoimmune diseases. Therefore, this is the test used in the diagnosis of lupus erythematosus.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) include a group of antinuclear antibodies used to diagnose systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases such as: Rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, inflammation polymyositis, Sjogren's syndrome,... Some of these antibodies are specific for systemic lupus erythematosus, while others are specific for other autoimmune diseases.
Indication of antinuclear antibody test can be done by many different tests such as:
Indirect immunofluorescence. Assay by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Test results were calculated according to an indirect immunofluorescence titer in positive cases. If the low antibody titer result will be negative, the increased antibody titre will be positive and the antinuclear antibody will have a high concentration.

The doctor will order the patient to have an antinuclear antibody test when there is a suspicion of lupus erythematosus or other systemic autoimmune diseases. Some typical symptoms can be mentioned as:
Prolonged low-grade fever. Tired body. Pain in musculoskeletal areas. The appearance of a rash, a red butterfly-shaped rash on the face - typical symptoms of lupus erythematosus. The skin is sensitive to sunlight. Lots of hair loss. Numbness, or a stinging sensation in the palms of your hands or feet. Examination revealed damage to many organs in the body such as kidneys, lungs, heart, endocardium, central nervous system, blood vessels.

Antinuclear antibody test through blood drawn from the patient's brachial vein. The technician will use a tight elastic band around the upper arm to help the patient limit the stinging sensation when the needle is inserted.
Note that there is no need to fast before taking blood.
Patient samples will be put in a dedicated container and brought to the blood laboratory for analysis.
Indirect immunofluorescence test (cell FAN antinuclear factor):
This test technique uses chicken red blood cells attached to a slide, the patient's serum is incubated for 30 minutes with temperature 37°C, then rinse the slide with cold water to remove other antibodies.
Let the slide dry, then apply fluorescence. Examine slides under an optical microscope.
Test result
Normal test result: Negative at 1:40 titre. Abnormal test results: Increased titre in cases of certain diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus; rheumatoid arthritis; dermatomyositis, scleroderma; Raynaud's disease; Sjogren's syndrome; Cirrhosis; myasthenia; other immune diseases,...

If the result is positive, it means that there are more antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in the blood than normal, the doctor will order some more tests to determine anti-DNA antibodies or anti-DNA antibodies. cause EAN is present in the blood in higher than normal amounts.

The patient's use of certain drugs may affect the test results. Test results may be false positive if the patient is taking drugs: Acetazolamide, aminosalicylic acid, phenylbutazone, streptomycin, chlorprothixene, griseofulvin, phenytoin sodium, hydralazine, penicillin, procainamide, chlorothiazides, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines,...
Results false negative test results if the patient is taking steroids. Therefore, patients need to inform their doctor about their illness and prescription drugs they are taking.
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