There are a number of diseases in which the defense system perceives the cells of its own body as foreign, after which it begins to mistakenly attack them. Most autoimmune pathologies are chronic and pose a serious threat to he alth. In order to identify these ailments at the earliest stage of their development, doctors prescribe an analysis of the ANF. This abbreviation stands for "antinuclear factor". Some reports label the study as ANA. The meaning stands for "analysis for antinuclear antibodies." ANF is a clinically significant indicator that helps the doctor to create the most effective treatment regimen and prevent the development of complications.
The essence of the method
The biological material for research is blood. When any pathogenic microorganism enters the body, the immune system begins to produce specific antibodies, the task of which is to destroy foreign antigens. The essence of the method is to detect and quantify these substances in liquid connective tissue.
Doctors say that the ANF blood test is a laboratory type of research that has a high degree of information content. With its help, it is possible to identify any autoimmune pathologies even at an early stage of their development.
Specific antibodies are also often detected in people suffering from severe hepatitis, oncology and some infectious diseases. These substances can also be found in he althy people. This situation requires an integrated approach to identify the cause.
ANF analysis sometimes involves an assessment of the quantitative content of immunoglobulins. Their presence may indicate the development of collagenoses and rheumatic diseases.
Indications
It is important to know that an ANF blood test is a test that is prescribed to confirm or exclude the presence of autoimmune pathologies, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.
The doctor can suspect an illness by the following symptoms:
- Prolonged fever with no apparent cause.
- Pain in the joints.
- Increased degree of fatigue.
- Aches in muscles and joints.
- Skin manifestations without apparent cause.
- Frequent episodes of muscle cramps.
- Increased body temperature.
- Weight loss.
- Regular episodes of nausea.
- Headache.
- Hearing impaired.
- Diarrhea.
In addition, ANF analysis is prescribed for suspected rheumatic disease. The study is carried out after receivingresults of laboratory diagnostics, in which the values of ESR, CEC and C-reactive protein are increased.
What shows
ANF-blood test reveals pathologies of an autoimmune nature. The study is informative for the following diseases:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.
- Sjogren's disease.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Alopecia areata.
- Addison's disease.
- Ankylosing spondylitis.
- Antiphospholipid syndrome.
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
- Bullous pemphigoid.
- Autoimmune hepatitis.
- Celiac disease.
- Autoimmune pathologies of the inner ear.
- Chagas disease.
- Churg-Strauss syndrome.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Dermatomyositis.
- Crohn's disease.
- Type I diabetes.
- Goodpasture Syndrome.
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
- Graves' disease.
- Guillain-Barré syndrome.
- Kawasaki disease.
- Purulent hydradenitis.
- Primary nephropathy.
- Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
- Interstitial cystitis.
- Erythematous lupus.
- Sharpe's syndrome.
- Annular scleroderma.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Narcolepsy.
- Neuromyotonia.
- Pemphigus vulgaris.
- Psoriasis.
- Raynaud phenomenon.
- Vasculitis.
- Wegener's granulomatosis.
This is an incomplete list of diseases. It is important that the analysis of ANF shows the development of autoimmune pathologies at the earliest stage of their course. This allows the doctor to decide on the tactics of treatment, and further evaluate its effectiveness.
Preparation
Biomaterial sampling is carried out in the morning. It is necessary to donate blood on an empty stomach. The last meal should be taken at least 4 hours before. At the same time, it is permissible to drink water at any time and in any quantities. Alcohol is prohibited.
Rest is shown 1 day before the study. Physical and psycho-emotional stress often lead to a false result. Smoking is prohibited half an hour before donating blood.
It is necessary to inform the doctor about the medications taken at the time of the appointment of an ANF test. This is due to the fact that the active components of some drugs provoke the production of antibodies and can also cause drug-induced lupus. False-negative results are often the result of taking glucocorticosteroids.
If the patient has been prescribed physiotherapy or instrumental examinations, they should be carried out only after blood donation.
Biomaterial sampling
It is carried out in the morning. The biological material is venous blood. Its sampling is carried out according to the standard algorithm. As a rule, blood is taken from a vein located in the crook of the elbow.
After the liquid connective tissue is obtained, it will be isolatedserum. It is she who is necessary for the analysis.
Types of studies and their descriptions
At present, it is possible to detect antibodies in biomaterial in several ways:
- Using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. If specific substances are present in the blood, they will begin to bind to specific nuclear antigens. In laboratories, elements are used that are capable of glowing in a separate spectrum. Then the biomaterial is carefully studied under a microscope. The disease can be suspected by the type of glow. This method is recognized as the most informative in relation to determining the value of antinuclear antibodies. One variation of the technique is a study using HEp cells. Analysis of ANF in this case involves the sampling of biomaterial from the larynx. The process is not associated with the occurrence of painful and other uncomfortable sensations. It is important to know that the ANF HEp-2 blood test is currently the most accurate test. Epithelial cells from the larynx are incubated with serum, after which they are also combined with fluorescent substances.
- With the help of enzyme immunoassay. Its essence lies in the fact that when the relationship between antibodies and antigens occurs, the color of the solution changes. The presence of this or that shade makes it possible to suspect the presence of a certain pathology.
The attending physician should deal with the interpretation of the ANF analysis. If there are positive test results, additional tests are prescribed. The final diagnosis is not based on the conclusion of oneanalysis.
Normal values
The best result is one in which antinuclear antibodies are absent. However, it is worth remembering that they can be found in perfectly he althy people. In this case, a re-examination is indicated.
Normal analysis ANF - titer no more than 1:160. At the same time, this indicator is relevant for both adults and children.
When transcribing an ANF blood test, it is important to consider the following information:
- Low titers are not a guarantee that there is no autoimmune pathology. According to statistics, 5% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have negative test results.
- If a person has all the symptoms of an autoimmune disease, and the analysis at the same time indicates the opposite, the doctor does not exclude the presence of the disease. In such situations, an enzyme immunoassay is additionally performed.
ANF analysis performed using HEp-2 cells is considered normal if the titer is not higher than 1:160. A result of more than 1:640 indicates an exacerbation of rheumatic pathologies. During the period of remission of the disease, the titer decreases to 1:320. At the same time, only a doctor will be able to identify the fact, as evidenced by such a low indicator, based on the history and individual characteristics of the patient's he alth.
ANF upgraded
Antinuclear antibodies bind to antigens to form an immune complex. The latter, in turn, is a triggering factor for the development of the inflammatory process in the wallsvessels. As a result, the first alarming symptoms of systemic diseases appear in a person. The analysis shows high titers.
In this case, the pathology can be identified by determining the type of glow. Interpretation of results:
- Homogeneous. Such a glow may indicate the presence of systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic hepatitis and scleroderma.
- Peripheral. Always talking about systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Granular. Possible diseases: Sjögren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, mixed connective tissue pathology.
- Nuclear. This type of glow is characteristic of systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis, Sjögren's syndrome and scleroderma.
- Centromeric. Possible pathologies: skin calcification, esophageal dysfunction, Raynaud's syndrome, telangiectasia, sclerodactyly.
- Cytoplasmic. Such a glow indicates autoimmune liver diseases or polymyositis.
ANF downgraded
Reducing the level of antinuclear antibodies is of clinical importance only in the prediction and monitoring of existing and previously identified systemic diseases.
The ANF indicator directly depends on the intensity of the pathological process. In this regard, its decrease is a favorable sign, indicating that the treatment was successful, and the disease went into remission.
Treatment
Each pathology of an autoimmune nature requires a specific therapeutic approach. The purpose of a blood test for ANF is to identify antibodies in the liquid connective tissue and evaluate the nature of their interaction with specific antigens. Based on the results of the diagnosis, the doctor can preliminarily make a diagnosis. Additional research is needed to confirm it. And only after that the doctor draws up a treatment plan. The choice of medications directly depends on what kind of pathology is detected in a person.
Cost
You can take an ANF test at an independent laboratory, a private clinic or a public medical institution. It is important to know that not all budget clinics provide such a service. Regarding its availability, you need to check with the registry.
Research is paid even in state medical institutions. The cost of the analysis directly depends on the pricing policy of the clinic, which consists of many factors. The minimum price is 1000 rubles, the maximum does not exceed 1700 rubles. In addition, you need to pay extra for blood sampling. The cost of this service, as a rule, does not exceed 200 rubles.
In conclusion
ANF stands for antinuclear factor. Normally, it should not be present in the blood of a he althy person, or its concentration should be less than 1:160. An analysis for ANF is prescribed in order to identify pathologies of an autoimmune nature in a patient at the earliest stage of their development.
The essence of the method: when provoking agents penetrate the bodythe defense system begins to produce antibodies. Their job is to attack the antigens and destroy them. To detect this reaction in a patient, venous blood is taken, followed by separation of serum. Specific antigens are added to the latter and further reactions are evaluated.
