Description
The ANA test identifies the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in blood.
These antibodies are produced by the body’s immune system – the body’s defence system against invasion by foreign substances such as viruses and bacteria. Sometimes the immune system malfunctions and produces substances that attack your body’s own cells and tissues instead of foreign substances. When this happens, the resulting disease is termed an autoimmune disease. The presence of ANA is associated with several autoimmune diseases but is most commonly seen in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).