Need help deciphering blood test / autoimmune test

[Itzomi]

...I will not google...I will not google...I will not google...
I got the results in the mail today of my blood test, and I tested positive for autoimmune disorder. I have to go back for another blood test to get some specifics.
What it DOES say is (and this is where y'all come in, whoever can read this gibberish):

ANA Pattern 1 - 3+ SPECK
ANA Titer 1 - >=320 DILS
The accompanying paper is no help. It says, "ANA Titer 1 screens for the presence of some types of arthritis-like conditions. An ANA less than 80 is not usually significant."

Hm. The number 320 sure is a long way from 80. I have a lotta somethin', but I don't know what that somethin' is!!!
Help???

...I will not google...I will not google...I will not google...

[Itzomi]

*crickets chirp*

Makes me nervous when nobody says anything... Does this mean y'all think I'm a goner and are afraid to tell me? LOL. :wacko:

[mirry]

sorry i dont understand it too ???

maybe someone will be able to help you ? or do you have a national health help line in america to phone ?

[spacebunnyx]

i don't know.. i'm just guessing but it sounds like you have artheritis? all the best xxx

[Panic1971]

When do you go back for more blood tests? Can you not ask them when you go?

I would tend to agree with Jess though - ANA Titer screens for arthritus conditions and your reading was high.

Why did you have the blood test in the first place? Have you been getting pains in joints etc?

Take care and let us know how you get on.

[Blackstar]

Hi Itzomi,

ANA means 'anti-nuclear antibodies'. From what I can tell it's a general term for any autoimmune antibodies - not anything specific. I could be wrong though, I was just going on what Google told me :blush:

The rest depends on what sort of symptoms you have, and then the tests can presumably be tailored more towards the affected tissues.

Good luck hon.

Anna. x

[ro44]

Itzomi,

The ana test you had measures the amount of abnormal antibodies that work against the body's tissues. The results are measured in titers. A titer is how much the blood had to be diluted before the antibodies could no longer be detected. A larger second number such as 1:320 means there was a higher concentration of antibodies like there would be if the results were 1:80. I think if it is higher than 1:40, they get concerned. HOWEVER, a high ANA does not mean you have a disease in and by itself. I had this test done years ago and mine was 1:80. The "practicing" doctor called me in and said I tested positive for lupus. I was so upset!! Needless to say, she never should have told me that. She sent me to a rheumatologist and he told me I don't have lupus. People that do have lupus do have high ANAs so if you have a negative ANA then that would rule out lupus. A lot of healthy people have elevated ANA's. I had it checked again recently when I went to an osteo about my stiff neck. That time it came back 1:160. Again, I went back to my rheumatologist with the result and he was not concerned. There are conditions associated with high ANA's like lupus, rheumatoid arthitis and other autoimmune diseases. Do you know why your doctor ordered the test? Did you complain of arthritic symptoms? Anyway, I was so scared and upset both times for NO REASON because of this test. My rheumatologist actually said he gets so tired of M.D.s scaring people about elevated titers. He told me I probably had fibromyalgia. Anyway, your doctor should explain this to you. Until, you hear from him or her, try not to worry. It may be nothing. Hope I haven't said too much. Let me know what you find out. By the way, mine always comes back "speckled" too. Don't know exactly what that means.

Ro44

[Itzomi]

Thank you SO MUCH for your responses!!!

The reason the test was ordered was that I have psoriasis and granuloma annulare, and I understand that both are autoimmune skin conditions. Both cases are mild, but I wondered that since I have TWO autoimmune conditions, I thought maybe I had an actual autoimmune disorder of some sort? So, the doctor granted me the test, and lo and behold, it came back positive.

Do you think this test merely just picked up on my skin conditions, or with that high of a number, I wonder if it's soemthing more serious lurking around in my body? My psoriasis & granuloma has recently flared up from HA stress, so I'm hoping that's all it is? I don't feel like I have any other problems, though I do feel heat in my joints lately but ONLY since I read an article about psoriasis possibly causing arthritis in some people. The heat started for the first time WHILE I WAS READING THAT ARTICLE (out of fear) and has been happening ever since!! (Stupid HA!!) Before I read that, I had NO arthritis symptoms! I was fine!! *grrrr!!*

I had my second blood test Friday night, so if this test comes back abnormal, my doc is sending me to a specialist.

Thanks again SO MUCH for helping to shed some light on this!!!! :)

[Itzomi]

Okay, I called Kaiser for my results, and the nurse didn't know what that test was but she read off my results for the second blood test.

Test: Anti DNA
Result: Negative

Doctor doesn't call me - have to wait for results by mail, and will probably only get a sentence or two from doctor. Can anyone tell me what this means? THANKS!! :)

[Gareth]

Hi Itzomi,

Your post is very interesting to me as I recently had a blood test that confirmed I had a raised level of ANAs as well, and have been researching the various auto-immune diseases it could be.

I am seeing my doc on Wednesday to discuss the results and I may well need to see a rheumatologist to get a diagnosis.

What was interesting about your post is that you have psoriasis. I have this as well, but its only ever been mild, restricted to one leg, and I've had it since I was 13. I was wondering if you ever found out whether the psoriasis could be the cause of your raised ANA result?

Thanks,

Gareth