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Test Code ANA Antinuclear Antibody

Important Note

Reflex Testing: ANA titer performed on all positive patterns; homogeneous, speckled, nucleolar, centromere, and nuclear dots. Unrecognizable and cytoplasmic patterns will be referred to Mayo for confirmation.  Homogeneous patterns will reflex to Double Stranded DNA IgG (DSDNA) test.

EHR Test Codes

  Test Code Test Name
Atlas ANA ANA Screen
Cerner ANA Antinuclear Antibody

Specimen Requirements

Preparation of Patient: 

None

 

Container Type: 

Gold Top 6mL SST Gel & Clot Activator Tube

Specimen Type:

Serum

 

Specimen Volume: 

2.5 mL Serum minimum .5 mL

 

Specimen Handling/Transport:

Transport ambient room temperature.

 

Specimen Stability/Storage:

< 8 hours ambient room temperature, 7 days 2 - 8°C, > 7 days -20°C

 

Specimen Rejection:

Gross hemolysis or lipemia

Performing Laboratory

Munson Medical Center Laboratories

Microbiology Department

Priority, Frequency, & Turnaround

Priority:

Non-Emergent

 

Frequency:

Monday - Friday

 

Turnaround:

0 - 3 days

Methodology

Indirect Immunoflourescent Assay

Reporting

Reference Range:

Negative

 

Interpretation:

ANA titer performed on all positive patterns; homogeneous, speckled, nucleolar, centromere, and nuclear dots. Unrecognizable and cytoplasmic patterns will be referred to Mayo for confirmation.  Homogeneous patterns will reflex to Double Stranded DNA IgG (DSDNA) test.

 

Critical Decision: 

None

Clinical Significance

Antinuclear antibody (ANA) is a general term used to describe autoantibodies against various cell nuclear proteins. Early studies of these autoantibodies, using immunofluorescent techniques, revealed a select few nuclear protein specificities Because of the high correlation of positive ANA with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a negative ANA essentially ruled out the disease.

 

Although antibodies specific to DNA continue to show a high disease correlation with SLE, a number of nuclear and cytoplasmic macromolecules have been detected and associated with other connective tissue diseases. Because a number of these antibodies appear to be of diagnostic and/or prognostic use in progressive systemic sclerosis, mixed connective tissue disease, Sjogrens syndrome, polymyositis, and rheumatoid arthritis , ANA testing is now recognized as a general screening tool for connective tissue disease

CPT Code(s)

86038

 

Addiditional CPT codes if reflex testing performed.

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