I just found out that my dad and I have the same EXACT ANA results. Is this genetic?

Hi all, I am 22. 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome and approx. 6 years ago, one of my doctors mentioned there was a high chance I would develop Lupus and to keep an eye out. I have become sort of a hypochondriac since then and have been attending my once a year followup appointments since I have been in remission for 10 years.

4 years ago, I tested ANA positive homogenous speckled 1:160, but negative for all Lupus tests. Meanwhile, I gave up my scholarship in case I could get medically disqualified from the military because I didn't want to have to pay $200k back in case I developed something in college. (I just graduated and have to pay back one year of college $50,000) and I am healthy to my knowledge but disillusioned from all the medical bill mixups so I stopped seeing doctors.

Just last night, my dad had been tested because doctors thought he had pleurisy. They gave him the same tests I was given 4 years ago, and he also had positive ANA homogenous speckled 1:160, but all lupus tests came back negative.

It seems like we both don't have lupus, but does this mean this is genetic? Does this mean I am closer to finding out what we have (or don't have)?

The best answer is that lupus is NOT genetic but those with lupus or other autoimmune diseases have a set of genes that predisposes them to some sort of a disruption of their immune response when subjected to some  sort of an insult: virus, cancer, bacteria, environmental insult.......  In short, lupers do not have a genetic disease which is defined as you have a gene or set of genes and it is 100% certain you will get a given disease.  Statistics have shown that AI diseases run in families....member will get AI diseases but not necessarily the same one.

I have polymyositis and there is a myositis disease that is truly genetic called hIBM (hereditary inclusion body myositis) but the other myositis diseases are NOT hereditary.

Hope this helps but nobody really understands how AI diseases work....yet.

Bill