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questions about ANA test results

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ebethc

Senior Member
Messages
1,901
my results: ANA = positive .. 1:160, diffuse pattern; 1:40, speckled pattern


1. are abnormal ANA test results typical in CFS patients?

2. is this something that fluctuates?
ie, I tested positive in september, but had just had a bad infection so I didn't think it was necessarily a problem. however, I was just re-tested and am still getting a "positive" result so I'm a little worried... I've never had any positive AI results before and I know that this tests is not limited to AI problems so I'm worried.... maybe I'm still experiencing residual problems from last year's infections and it will normalize over the coming year?? dunno..

3. if you had positive ANA, what brought the test results back to normal? what next tests did you get?
 
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kangaSue

Senior Member
Messages
1,853
Location
Brisbane, Australia
An ANA test can come back positive just as an immune response to an inflammatory condition (so not always pointing to an autoimmune condition) and a second test with a 1:40 result can be just indicating that there's less inflammation now.
A 1:40 result doesn't raise any concerns with doctors generally though, but if you have other issues of autonomic dysfunction (such as POTS or hypotension, GI dysmotility (food intolerances, constipation or diarrhea), sweat abnormalities (night sweats or hot flash-like sweats, dry eyes, mouth or other mucous surfaces), you couldnn't dismiss out of hand that there isn't some autoimmune involvement in it, maybe as a co-morbidity to ME/CFS.
It's common to rule out the rheumatic connective tissue disorders as a next step so an ENA panel and you can have a positive result in an ENA panel without being positive in an ANA panel anyway so worth doing it.
 
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ebethc

Senior Member
Messages
1,901
kangaSue said:
It's common to rule out the rheumatic connective tissue disorders as a next step so an ENA panel and you can have a positive result in an ENA panel without being positive in an ANA panel anyway so worth doing it.
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar w the ENA panel... so it's a test for rheumatic connective tissue disorders?

thanks
 
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