Anybody get diagnosed with Lupus w/o a positive ANA test?

[naysmommy]

My friend has all the symptoms of Lupus but she had a negative ANA test. Her doc said she has to have a positive test. Did your doc say the same thing. She dont know what to do. She feels like her neurologist only sees in black and white and is not open minded. Should she get a second opinion? Thanks Ladies!!

[soyfulliving]

Here are some articles/websites I found that address this issue.

http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk/katfaq/diag.htm#NegANA

Can a Lupus Patient have a negative ANA titre?

From 1-5% of lupus patients may have a negative ANA test despite numerous qualifying criteria. Still, in this instance, patients often test positive for anti-Ro (SSA), a type of ANA. Some will also have a positive anti-dsDNA. This is why when the patient is ANA-negative but complaining of lupus-type symptoms it is worthwhile to ask for these two tests.

A similar problem is that of Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD). This is a case in which many SLE symptoms are present, even a low-positive ANA, but for which the doctor cannot fit the patient to at least 4 of the ACR's SLE Diagnostic Criteria.

Both ANA Neg. SLE (also called sero-negative SLE) and UCTD are very frustrating for the patient as they often feel they are not receiving the same level of care or concern from their doctors that a patient with full-blown SLE would receive.

Finally, there are times when consistent treatment with standard Lupus medications and taking care of oneself can lead to remissions during which ANA titres are much lower or even negative. Doctors (uninformed ones) have been known to mistakenly undiagnose the patient that has been diagnosed for years, sometimes going so far as to remove lupus therapy and putting the patient at great risk.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=16987

When a person satisfies the criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), but has a negative ANA, the condition is referred to as ANA-negative systemic lupus erythematosus.  ANAs are negative in approximately 5% of patients with lupus.  In these patients, frequently there are other antibody markers of lupus present, such as cardiolipin antibody, anti-smith antibody, DNA antibodies, and SS-A and SS-B antibodies.

Yannah

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