APPLICATION: Use of ANA as a screening test should be avoided as interpretation is difficult in the absence of features of a systemic rheumatic disease and titres remain elevated in remission and need not reflect disease activity. INTERPRETATION: Sensitvity for the diagnosis of SLE is high with > 95% of patients with SLE having this antibody. Specificity is low as up to 70% on patients with some other systemic rheumatic disease are also positive.
See Extractable Nuclear Antigen Antibodies, DNA antibodies and Histone antibodies.
