The ANA, IFA Panel Comprehensive test contains 1 test with 7 biomarkers.
Description: An antinuclear antibody screening is a blood test that is going to look for a positive or negative result. If the result comes back as positive further test will be done to look for ANA Titer and Pattern. Antinuclear antibodies are associated with Lupus.
Also Known As: ANA, ANA Screen IFA with Reflex to Titer and pattern IFA, ANA with Reflex, Antinuclear Antibody Screen, DNA-DS Antibody Test, DNA-DS Test, Anti ds-DNA Test, Scl-70 Antibody Test, Anti Scl-70 test, sjogren’s antibody test, SSA-A antibody test, SS-B Antibody test, Sm Antibody Test, Rnp Antibody Sm Rnp Antibody Test
Collection Method: Blood Draw
Specimen Type: Serum
Test Preparation: No preparation required
If ANA Screen, IFA is positive, then ANA Titer and Pattern will be performed at an additional charge - $13.00
When is a Comprehensive ANA IFA Panel test ordered?
When someone exhibits signs and symptoms of a systemic autoimmune illness, the ANA test is requested. Symptoms of autoimmune illnesses can be vague and non-specific, and they can fluctuate over time, steadily deteriorate, or oscillate between periods of flare-ups and remissions.
What does a Comprehensive ANA IFA Panel blood test check for?
Antinuclear antibodies are a type of antibody produced by the immune system when it is unable to differentiate between its own cells and foreign cells. Autoantibodies are antibodies that attack the body's own healthy cells, causing symptoms like tissue and organ inflammation, joint and muscle discomfort, and weariness. The moniker "antinuclear" comes from the fact that ANA specifically targets chemicals located in a cell's nucleus. The presence of these autoantibodies in the blood is detected by the ANA test.
The presence of ANA may be a sign of an autoimmune process, and it has been linked to a variety of autoimmune illnesses, the most common of which being systemic lupus erythematosus.
One of the most common tests used to detect an autoimmune disorder or rule out other conditions with comparable signs and symptoms is the ANA test. As a result, it's frequently followed by other autoantibody tests that can help establish a diagnosis. An ENA panel, anti-dsDNA, anti-centromere, and/or anti-histone test are examples of these.
Lab tests often ordered with a Comprehensive ANA IFA Panel test:
- ENA Panel
- Sed Rate (ESR)
- C-Reactive Protein
- Complement
- AMA
- Autoantibodies
- Centromere antibody
- Histone Antibody
- Nuclear Antibody
Conditions where a Comprehensive ANA IFA Panel test is recommended:
- Autoimmune Disorders
- Lupus
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Sjogren Syndrome
- Scleroderma
How does my health care provider use a Comprehensive ANA IFA Panel?
The antinuclear antibody test is one of the most common tests used to identify systemic lupus erythematosus. It is used as a primary test to assist evaluate a person for autoimmune illnesses that affect multiple tissues and organs throughout the body.
When a person's immune system fails to discriminate between their own cells and foreign cells, autoantibodies called ANA are created. They attack chemicals found in a cell's nucleus, causing organ and tissue damage.
ANA testing may be utilized in conjunction with or after other autoantibody tests, depending on a person's indications and symptoms and the suspected condition. Antibodies that target specific compounds within cell nuclei, such as anti-dsDNA, anti-centromere, anti-nucleolar, anti-histone, and anti-RNA antibodies, are detected by some of these tests, which are considered subsets of the general ANA test. In addition, an ENA panel can be utilized as a follow-up to an ANA.
These further tests are performed in addition to a person's clinical history to assist diagnose or rule out other autoimmune conditions such Sjögren syndrome, polymyositis, and scleroderma.
To detect ANA, various laboratories may employ different test procedures. Immunoassay and indirect fluorescent antibody are two typical approaches. The IFA is regarded as the gold standard. Some labs will test for ANA using immunoassay and then employ IFA to confirm positive or equivocal results.
An indirect fluorescent antibody is created by mixing a person's blood sample with cells attached to a slide. Autoantibodies in the blood bind to the cells and cause them to react. A fluorescent antibody reagent is used to treat the slide, which is then inspected under a microscope. The existence of fluorescence is observed, as well as the pattern of fluorescence.
Immunoassays—these procedures are frequently carried out using automated equipment, however they are less sensitive than IFA in identifying ANA.
Other laboratory tests linked to inflammation, such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and/or C-reactive protein, can be used to assess a person's risk of SLE or another autoimmune disease.
What do my ANA test results mean?
A positive ANA test indicates the presence of autoantibodies. This shows the presence of an autoimmune disease in someone who has signs and symptoms, but more testing is needed to make a definitive diagnosis.
Because ANA test results can be positive in persons who have no known autoimmune disease, they must be carefully assessed in conjunction with a person's indications and symptoms.
Because an ANA test can become positive before signs and symptoms of an autoimmune disease appear, determining the meaning of a positive ANA in a person who has no symptoms can take some time.
SLE is unlikely to be diagnosed with a negative ANA result. It is normally not required to repeat a negative ANA test right away; however, because autoimmune illnesses are episodic, it may be desirable to repeat the ANA test at a later date if symptoms persist.
We advise having your results reviewed by a licensed medical healthcare professional for proper interpretation of your results.
