Interpretation

Presence of anti-cellular antibody (also known as antinuclear antibody) is a feature of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, Sjogren syndrome, and systemic sclerosis and some inflammatory myopathies (dermatomyositis, anti-synthetase syndrome and necrotizing autoimmune myopathy). It may also be of diagnostic relevance in patients with autoimmune liver diseases.

Patients' sera are screened at 1:80. The following nuclear patterns and their titers are reported: centromere, homogeneous, nuclear dots, nucleolar, speckled, fine dense speckled (also referred to as DFS70), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). If observed, the following cytoplasmic patterns are reported: reticular/AMA (antimitochondrial antibody), cytoplasmic speckled, fibrillar, polar/Golgi-like, or rods and rings. The spindle fiber and centrosome mitotic patterns are also reported if observed. Reported patterns may help guide differential diagnosis, although they may not be specific for individual antibodies or diseases. Negative results do not necessarily rule out systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease.

The anti-cellular antibody test lacks diagnostic specificity and is associated with some cancers, infectious, and inflammatory conditions, with variable prevalence in healthy individuals. The lack of diagnostic specificity requires confirmation of positive results using associated antibody tests such as those targeting extractable nuclear antigens.