ANA is also known as antinuclear antibody. Positive antinuclear antibody may indicate rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, dry syndrome and other diseases.
1. Rheumatoid arthritis: the cause of the disease is complex, it is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease caused by a combination of genetic, infectious and environmental factors. It mainly manifests as symmetrical swelling and pain in the joints of hands, wrists and feet, often accompanied by morning stiffness, fatigue and other discomforts, and the antinuclear antibody test can be positive.
2. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): Anti-nuclear antibody is the first choice of screening test for SLE, with a high positive rate. The cause of SLE is not yet clear, and it is related to endocrine, genetic, infection, drugs and other factors. ANA can be positive in SLE patients.
The onset of the disease is insidious, the early stage of the disease can be manifested as mild arthritis, and the patients have butterfly-shaped erythema distribution on the bridge of the nose and cheeks, and with the development of the disease, it can be manifested as hematuria, cardiac lesions, thrombocytopenia, and so on.
3. Dry syndrome: it is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that involves many exocrine glands. The clinical manifestations of this disease are diverse, and the patients may have symptoms such as dry mouth, dry throat, dry tongue, dry skin, etc., and the results of antinuclear antibody examination may be positive.
ANA positivity is also seen in other diseases, it is recommended that patients with ANA positivity go to the rheumatology and immunology departments of regular hospitals for timely consultation and treatment according to the doctor’s instructions.