Anti Nuclear Antibody-IFA near me in Ahmedabad

Also known as Anti Nuclear Factor - IFA (ANF - IFA)

This test is for

Male, Female

Earliest reports in

72 hours

Test Preparation

Overnight fasting is preferred.

Understanding Anti Nuclear Antibody-IFA in Ahmedabad

What is Anti Nuclear Antibody-IFA in Ahmedabad?

Anti nuclear antibody- IFA test refers to antinuclear antibody (ANA) test through indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) method to detect the presence of ANA in blood. ANAs are auto antibodies that attack body’s healthy cells and cause damage to the joints, skin, muscles, and other body parts. This test is suggested to people at risk or having autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Most people have a minor percentage of ANA in their blood; however elevated ANA levels can be the sign of an autoimmune disease.

What does Anti Nuclear Antibody-IFA measure?

The Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Test measures the amount and pattern of antinuclear antibodies in the blood. The immune system of the body is responsible for differentiating between the body’s own cells and foreign cells, like pathogens. Once the foreign cells are identified, they are then targeted and destroyed. In autoimmune disorders, the immune system of the body is unable to recognize certain cells as the body’s own cells and starts an immune response against them which results in their destruction. The recognition of ‘self’ and ‘non-self’ cells is mediated by certain proteins present on the surface of cells or inside them. When the immune system identifies a cell as foreign or ‘non-self’, it produces antibodies against these cells to destroy them. Antibodies produced in an autoimmune disease are called autoantibodies.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are autoantibodies that are produced against protein markers present in the nucleus of certain cells of the body. They are produced in a number of autoimmune diseases but are most commonly produced in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).

The Antinuclear Antibody Test can be performed either by Immunoassay method or Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (IFA) method to detect ANA in blood. Both these tests may be used by some laboratories together: the Immunoassay method screens for the presence of antinuclear antibodies, and IFA method subsequently confirms the positive or equivocal Immunoassay results.