I finally had blood tests done for Sjogren's. But have a question...
ANA was POSITIVE (1:40, "borderline low" though as my dr put it) with a SPECKLED pattern.
SSA & SSB results were given in NUMBERS instead of POSITIVE / NEGATIVE. The "limit" or "range" was indicated as >30 AU/mL and both of my numbers were less than 30. (SSA, 1 and SSB, 8)
I had read that with ANA, if it is detectable in your blood, it is POSITIVE. So I would assume that the same would be true with SSA/SSB since they are antibodies. I couldn't seem to find an answer, so I called the 800# on the lab report. Of course, they couldn't discuss my individual results (only my dr. can), but the representative confirmed my assumption. Basically, she said that the "trend" (she used a different word) has gone to using numbers instead of pos/neg, but "yes", if the SSA/SSB antibodies are detected in the blood, it is positive.
Does anyone disagree with this or know it is not accurate?
Here is a link to SSA/SSB lab interpretation using the "AU/ML" in the search:
For both SSA(Ro) and SSB (La)
Negative: 29 AU/mL or less
Equivocal: 30-40 AU/mL
Positive: 41 AU/mL or
http://labguide.fairview.org/showtest.asp?testid=3097
Hope this helps..I would talk to the Dr. who ordered the tests.
Those results are full-on negative.
Styx