Can you have lupus with negative dsDNA?
A very low level of anti-dsDNA is considered negative but does not exclude a diagnosis of lupus. Only about 65-85% of those with lupus will have anti-dsDNA. Low to moderate levels of the autoantibody may be seen with other autoimmune disorders, such as Sjögren syndrome and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD).
Can you have a positive ANA and not have an autoimmune disease?
Only about 10-13% of persons with a positive ANA test are found to have lupus, and up to 15% of completely healthy people have a positive ANA test without an autoimmune disease. The production of these autoantibodies is strongly age-dependent and increases to 35% in healthy individuals over the age of 65.
What can a positive ANA test mean besides lupus?
Patients with organ-specific autoimmune diseases may also have a positive test for ANA. These diseases include thyroid diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, pulmonary diseases. In addition, patients with infectious diseases may test positive for ANA [3].
Can you test positive for ANA and not have lupus?
95% of people with lupus test positive for ANA, but a number of other, non-lupus causes can trigger a positive ANA, including infections and other autoimmune diseases. The ANA test simply provides another clue for making an accurate diagnosis.
Can you have lupus with negative anti Smith?
Because of a variety of technical factors, it is possible to have a negative ANA but a positive specific antibody test, though this is very uncommon. Thus an “ANA-negative” person with strongly positive antibody to Sm is said to have lupus.
Can ANA go from positive to negative?
The new criteria require that the test for antinuclear antibody (ANA) must be positive, at least once, but not necessarily at the time of the diagnosis decision because an ANA can become negative with treatment or remission.
Can your ANA go from positive to negative?
Can a positive ANA test mean nothing?
Results. The presence of antinuclear antibodies is a positive test result. But having a positive result doesn’t mean you have a disease. Many people with no disease have positive ANA tests — particularly women older than 65.
Can I test negative for lupus and still have it?
It is possible for people with lupus to have a negative ANA, but these instances are rare. In fact, only 2% of people with lupus will have a negative ANA. People with lupus who have a negative ANA test may have anti-Ro/SSA or antiphospholipid antibodies.