Anti Nuclear Antibodies (ANA) is a blood test designed to detect a range of antibodies to human proteins, known as autoantibodies.

The basic ANA detects the presence of autoantibodies without specific typing. In the presence of a positive screening ANA, subtyping is performed to quantify and identify the specific type(s) of autoantibodies present.

High titers of autoantibodies are indicative of an autoimmune disorder (e.g. RA, SLE, Sjorgren’s Syndrome), however approximately 20% of the normal population carries an elevated ANA titer.