question for Linda!!!!

[irish]

Linda, I just got the report from my immunologist in the blood work that he did. My FANA is strongly postive at 320 in a speckled pattern. I am wondering if this number is meaningful or if just being positive is really all one needs to know. My ENA shows a positive SSA/RO antibody so my sjogrens is still in full bloom. Well, that is not surprise is it!!!!

I have never been told what my FANA was before so they was of interest to me. Figured there might be a few others out there that have also wondered about what this test result means. Thanks a lot and hope all is going well. Irish

P.S. I bet painting walls set my arm off.

[Linda196]

Irish, the (Fluorescent)ANA is usually reported as a titer, so I'm wondering if the result if 1:320, not just 320?

It's a reflection of how concentrated the autoantibodies are in the serum. The serum goes through a number of dilutions, if the antibodies aren't detectable when the serum is diluted in 40 parts of diluent, it's <1:40, and negative. From that point, each dilution is with an equal volume to the sample, so the next step makes it 1:80, or one part serum to 80 parts diluent, then 160, 320, 640 and so on. 1:80 is considered mildly positive but not diagnostic. I really don't know if the number actually reflects the severity of the symptoms, in fact mine has been anywhere from 1:320 to 1:1280, and I pretty much felt the same the whole time. In my experience, positive is all I need to know!

Some labs do a "quantitative" test that gives the actual number of antibodies in a given volume, but I don't know much about that, so can't really comment.

The patterning is the result of the fluorescent illumination, and each of the different patterns (diffuse, speckled, nucleolar, and peripheral) is associated with different autoimmune diseases. Speckled is the winner for SjS!

[Patze]

Irish,

I always knew that you are a "shining" star!!!   Well, you keep racking up those positive results, hey, you want to ship a few to me?  It'll drive the rheumy crazy!  Eh, I need to keep him on his toes! 


Patze

[irish]

Patze, I never had a positive ANA in all the years it was done until I went to this doc. I also had never had a SSA/Ro done until I was in the sjogrens study at the U. I just went right smack to a lip biopsy because of my enlarged and tender parotid glands and that came back positive and blew the docs away. They never suspected. Sheeeeesh, I sure complained enough!!!!

I have always wondered if I would have had a positive thyroid titer if anyone had bothered to check it all those years. Darn it, this all in your head stuff sure should make the docs ashamed of themselves!!!!! Yeah right!!!! Irish

Thanks Linda for the Info. You are so loaded with information I can't believe it. I don't know how your brain can hold so much.

[Joe S.]

As in the TV show "House" doctors believe that patients lie. It is human nature to try to minimize other peoples pain. I remember a doctor telling me that babies do not feel pain. I told him where he could put that idea and quoted JAMA reports.

When you are telling the truth they believe you are lying.

[Linda196]

Don't let me fool you, Irish. I have a great reference library, and I always double check facts before I post...I just don't trust the old memory anymore!