What is the Antinuclear Antibodies Test?

Antinuclear antibody test is a type of laboratory test looking for antinuclear antibodies, a special type of antibody associated with certain health conditions. This type of test is most commonly arranged when the patient is supposed to have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), although it can be ordered in other situations. A positive or negative outcome in this test cannot be used separately for diagnosis, but can be used in an assessment of a patient who came to a doctor who complained about health problems. This is somewhat unusual because antibodies are usually designed to reflect foreign attackers. People with autoimmune disorders often test positively on a high number of antinuclear antibodies, although these antibodies can also be associated with other disease processes such as infections, hormonal imbalances, blood diseases, skin conditions and gastrointestinal problems, among other things. Some patients also have a naturally high level without apparent crossIny. The serum is used to wash the plate of commercially prepared cells. If the serum contains antinuclear antibodies, it binds to cells on the plate. When the preparation is treated with an antibody that denotes antinuclear antibodies and fluorescent lamps, the levels of antinuclear antibodies will be clearly visible.

Antinuclear antibody test results usually represent the result as a titer, rather than just indicating that the test is positive or negative. Low titer is less cause of concern than high. People usually have a small amount of antinuclear antibodies in their bodies, and these levels can fluctuate in response to ongoing health problems, causing the term titer to be particularly important because it shows not only that antinuclear antibodies are present but as they predominate.

The test results may also apply to patterns. Some antinuclear antibodies are associated with special autoimmuneby conditions. Some examples of patterns that may occur during the antinuclear antibodies test include spotted, homogeneous and nuclear patterns. These can be used as an indicator to learn more about the patient's condition.

If the test of antinuclear antibodies is positive with high titer, further monitoring will be needed before the doctor can provide a solid diagnosis. This may include testing, patient observation and other diagnostic techniques. In addition to using to explore the possibility of autoimmune state, the patient can be complained about infertility, as high levels of antinuclear antibodies, associated with fertility problems, can also be used antinuclear antibody.