Positive ANA result?

A few weeks back I had to visit my gastro doctor for blood work due to elevated liver enzyme levels, they are now normal again but I had a abnormal ANA result of 1:160 and if I recall correctly it was speckled. Does this mean I have Lupus??

I have looked at the ranges of the ANA and one I saw showed 1:160 is just one above the 1:320 which they said was negative. Do the higher numbers mean that it is not as bad as the low numbers, say 1:32 or 1:16. Does the 1:160 mean I have a low positive?

Would appreciate a reply from someone with knowledge of this test and what it's results and ranges mean. Thanks.

Thanks Lynnwood, I went back and looked at my lab work and mine 1:160 homogenous titer. I am reading some information on a Lupus support site and it states 1:16 is considered positive and if SED rates and Complement tests are positive, Lupus is considered. It also shows 1:32 is  definite positive and means the disease is active, and that 1:64 is considered very high and tissue damage is imminent. I also read on here that a titer of 1:640 shows a greater concentration of antinuclear antibodies than a titer of 1:320 or 1:160. So it isn't lower the number, the higher the case of Lupus? I do suffer from Ulcerative Colitis which is a autoimmune disorder in itself that can cause symptoms that are similar.  And it attacks your system also. So I'm just hoping it is from my colitis as I read it can cause the elevated ANA as well as certain meds.

I just wonder if the 2400mg I take daily of Asacol for my ulcerative colitis could be the culprit or my colitis itself causing the ANA result? It is a auto-immune disorder. I also take 40mg of Protonix a day plus a 10mg a day dose of Lexapro for anti-anxiety. I take a daily vitamin and 3 fish oil a day for purposes of keeping my good cholesterol level where it should be.

Hi there
A positive ANA certainly does not mean lupus as it can be positive for many reasons including non rheumatic diseases such as thyroid and liver disease. It can be positive in healthy individuals especially the elderly and in relatives of people with lupus, though usually in lower titres. The higher the titre the more likely it is to be caused by lupus or a similar connective tissue disease.

I have never read that higher titres mean serious disease. ANA is not considered as showing disease activity It all depends on the results of other tests but more important the seriousness of the lupus depends on the actual symptoms.
A false positive result means the result is due to some other cause then the one suspected. If the ANA is not due to lupus that is false positive for lupus. If a syphilis test is positive because the person has another infectious disease, then it is false positive for syphilis.

Sulfazalazine can cause drug induced lupus low risk and can worsen existing lupus. It is inadvisable to use it for lupus although it is used in treating RA as well as gastric type diseases. The Asacol is somehow related to the salfasalazine but I don't know exactly how. There are a few cases of DIL or lupus like disease reported with Asacol. As with SLE, DIL is the symptoms being experienced or and other signs, not just an elevated ANA. If SLE is suspected then other tests should be done for other antibodies and urine and other symptoms taken into account. If a drug is implicated the only way of telling is to discontinue the drug and see if signs and symptoms improve. This is not always possible. The antibodies can remain psoitive for a very long time long after the symptoms have gone

Bottom line in my opinion: a positive ANA is no reason for alarm and does not mean lupus. If 95% + of those with lupus have a positive ANA, 95% of those with a positive ANA do not have lupus.

Best Wishes
BB

That's good news. If you don't have any of the other markers for lupus, I wouldn't worry about a previous positive test. If you have other autoimmune symptoms, I would recommend starting a journal of symptoms. Sometimes a positive ANA will show up negative in a future test. There don't seem to be any simple answers when dealing with autoimmune issues. I hope you don't have any future problems.