Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are antibodies that are not present in the body of normal people, and have the ability to bind to certain structures inside the cell nucleus. The cell nucleus is the core inside the cell that does not contain DNA, the genetic material.

The ANA test is a test that detects antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in your blood. It is an essential tool in diagnosing autoimmune diseases. A positive ANA test may indicate that your immune system is mistakenly attacking your own tissues, in other words, an autoimmune reaction.

Diagnosing Lupus is difficult because the symptoms are often vague. Unlike some other diseases, a combination of different laboratory tests is needed to diagnose Lupus and monitor the disease and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are antibodies that attack the nucleus of cells. The ANA test, along with clinical symptoms, a physical exam, and other tests, helps doctors diagnose autoimmune diseases, including lupus.

The ANA test detects antinuclear antibodies in the blood. The normal immune system produces antibodies to help the body fight infections. In contrast, antinuclear antibodies often attack the body’s own tissues – specifically targeting the nucleus of individual cells – as part of an autoimmune response, in autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma.

Antinuclear antibody test measures the amount of antinuclear antibodies, antibodies in the blood that are directed against the body (autoimmune reaction) and helps diagnose systemic autoimmune diseases. Therefore, this is the test used in the diagnosis of lupus erythematosus.