Autoantibody Testing

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General information

Where It's Done Who Does It How Long It Takes Discomfort/Pain
Doctor's office, hospital, or commercial laboratory. Doctor, nurse, or lab technician. Less than 5 minutes for drawing blood. Minor discomfort associated with drawing blood.

Results Ready When Special Equipment Risks/Complications Average Cost
1-7 days. Supplies for drawing blood. None. $

Other names

Antibody testing.

Purpose
  • To help diagnose autoimmune disorders by detecting and measuring the levels of autoantibodies.
  • To monitor the course of an autoimmune disorder.
How it works

The presence of autoantibodies, detected by immunofluorescence or ELISA methods, means the body is making antibodies that are fighting its own tissue.

Preparation

None.

Test procedure

A sample of your blood is drawn and analyzed for the presence of particular antibodies.

After the test

Follow procedure for drawing blood.

Factors affecting results Interpretation

This test may detect the following antibodies:

  • Antinuclear antibody (ANA), which may be present in autoimmune disorders, particularly lupus, scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome, polymyositis, and certain types of chronic active hepatitis.
  • Anti-DNA antibody, which may be present in lupus but is usually not found in other autoimmune diseases. Levels generally decrease when treatment of lupus is successful.
  • Antiphospholipid antibody, which may be found in lupus and certain other conditions. Associated with clots and miscarriages.
  • Anti-smooth muscle antibody, which may be present in chronic active hepatitis. Testing helps distinguish between this type of hepatitis and other forms of liver disease.
  • Antimitochondrial antibody, which is present in most cases of primary biliary cirrhosis and (rarely) with other types of chronic liver disease.
  • Rheumatoid factor, which is often found in the blood and joint fluids of people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Advantages

There's no risk.

Disadvantages
  • Presence of antibodies does not lead to a definitive diagnosis, while absence does not always rule out a disease.
  • Levels of antibodies do not always correspond to severity of disease.
  • Test sometimes produces false-positive and false-negative results.
The next step
  • If antibodies are present along with appropriate symptoms, they are indicative of an autoimmune disorder, and treatment may be initiated.
  • Absence of antibodies suggests a condition other than an autoimmune disorder; other tests may be ordered.

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