What can cause a false positive ANA?

Conditions that may cause a “false positive” test include:

Being older than 65.
Having cancer.
Taking certain medicines.
Having a viral infection.
Having a long-term infection.

Can you test positive for ANA and not have an autoimmune disease?

A negative test for ANA may assist health care providers by decreasing the likelihood that a patient’s symptoms are caused by an autoimmune disease. Some individuals, even those without a relative with autoimmune disease, may have a positive test for ANA and yet never develop any autoimmune disease.

What infections cause positive ANA test?

Conditions that usually cause a positive ANA test include:

Systemic lupus erythematosus.
Sjögren’s syndrome — a disease that causes dry eyes and mouth.
Scleroderma — a connective tissue disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis — this causes joint damage, pain, and swelling.
Polymyositis — a disease that causes muscle weakness.

How common are false positive ANA tests?

To detect ANA, medical professionals usually use the indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) assay on HEp-2 cells as the standard blood test (ANA-HEp-2). However, studies have revealed that a “false-positive” ANA test occurs in up to 13% of healthy individuals.

What are some causes of a positive ANA test?

Causes of positive antinuclear antibodies, or ANA, test results include autoimmune diseases and certain medications, according to WebMD. Certain infections that result from viruses may also cause positive ANA test results. The positive results indicate the presence of ANA in the blood.

Is the Ana-HEp-2 test a false positive?

“The ANA-HEp-2 test is positive in a sizable portion of the general population and our findings established distinguishing characteristics between healthy individuals and patients with autoimmune disease which is essential to accurately interpret the test results,” Andrade said, in a press release.

How many healthy people have a positive ANA?

ANA 1:160 is found in 5% of healthy people. ANA 1:320 is found in 3% of healthy people. 5 – 25% of healthy people with a family member suffering from lupus have a positive ANA. Up to 70% of people aged above 70 years have a positive ANA.

Are there positive ANA titers for rheumatic disease?

Slater et al (6) studied 1,010 consecutive ANA results at a teaching hospital and attempted to correlate the results with clinical histories by chart review. Fifteen percent of all patients and 30% of patients older than 65 years had a positive ANA titer of 1:40 or greater, but the positive predictive value for rheumatic disease was low.

What can cause a false positive ANA? Conditions that may cause a “false positive” test include: Being older than 65. Having cancer. Taking certain medicines. Having a viral infection. Having a long-term infection. Can you test positive for ANA and not have an autoimmune disease? A negative test for ANA may assist health care providers…