The Art of Interpreting Antinuclear Antibodies (ANAs) in Everyday Practice

Narrative review of ANA literature from 1961-2025 focused on real-world interpretation challenges: IIF on HEp-2 cells as the gold standard, titer thresholds, ICAP pattern classification, and clinical correlation. Stresses that low-titer ANA lacks diagnostic significance and that clinical context is essential to avoid misdiagnosis and overtreatment. Candidate notes: Titres higher than 1:160 may provide greater specificity in differentiating true positives from false positives in healthy individuals IIF on HEp-2 cells remains the gold standard for ANA detection, revealing nuclear, cytoplasmic and mitotic fluorescence patterns ANA testing has limited utility for monitoring disease activity; repeat testing is mainly indicated with clinical worsening or evolving symptoms Limits noted in the record: Narrative rather than systematic review; literature selection and search strategy are not fully reproducible Single-center authorship from one dermatology department A positive ANA is not a diagnosis. Claims in this record are not verified.

A positive ANA is not a diagnosis. Claims in this record are not verified.

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