Anti-Nuclear Antibody

Alternate test name

ANA, ANF, ENA

Lab area

Clinical Biochemistry - Immunology

Method and equipment

Indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) using HEp-2 cell substrate from EUROIMMUN Medical Diagnostics.

Expected turn-around time

7 days

Specimen type

Serum

Specimen requirements

Send 0.3 mL for 1 test or 0.6 mL min for several tests from:

ANA, HEp-2 IgG
ANCA, IgG
EMA, IgA
GBM, IgG
LKM, IgG
PCA, IgG
SMA, IgG
dsDNA, IgG (Cithidia luciliae)

Storage and transportation

Frozen

Shipping information

The Hospital for Sick Children

Rapid Response Laboratory

555 University Avenue, Room 3642

Toronto, ON

Canada

M5G 1X8

Phone: 416-813-7200

Toll Free: 1-855-381-3212

Hours: 7 days/week, 24 hours/day

Requisition

Anti-Nuclear Antibody - requisition

Background and clinical significance

Anti-Nuclear Antibodies (ANAs) are important in the classification of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and other systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. A positive ANA at a 1:80 titer or equivalent is an entry criterion for SLE according to the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology/ American College of Rheumatology Classification. Indirect immunofluorescence performed using HEp-2 cell substrate is considered as the reference method for ANA detection. Various autoantibodies produce characteristic morphologic patterns of fluorescent staining. The patterns suggest the presence of particular ANA autoantibody specificities.

Disease condition

Systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus