The blood of every human being has antibodies that are for fighting off other harmful organisms from invading our bodies. Some of the organisms which are harmful and tend to invade the body include viruses, bacteria, and microbes.
Antinuclear antibodies (ANAS) are not common types of antibodies, though they can be traced in the blood of a man, they have the ability to attach themselves to some components found in the nucleus of the cells. Due to this individual may have different types of cancer that cause positive ANA.
Patients who have their immune system that already has been previously exposed to lead tend to have ANAs in their blood system. The Antibodies that tend to work against a human being’s body organs are known as Autoantibodies. The tendency for one’s immune system to be directed against their own body system is known as Autoimmunity.
The presence of antinuclear antibodies shows the possible existence of autoimmunity when this happens and they are traced in a blood system of any patient, which is known as a Positive Result. The examiner will take this into consideration as an existence of the autoimmune condition in that person being examined for the same.
Almost all people who have positive or not the usual type of ANA has a very high feeling for systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Types of Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA)
The most important ones are the anti-SM and anti-ds-DNA if the result of the examination turns out to be positive its high likelihood of Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
What Types of Cancer Cause Positive ANA?
The following is a list of common rheumatic and non-rheumatic conditions that are related to positive Antinuclear antibodies (ANA). These diseases are not commonly found in any person, at times even people suffering from positive ANA don’t know they have them in their body systems or any other ailment linked to this test result.
The following symptoms may prompt one’s doctor to suggest ANA test a positive test result can also mean that you have one of these other autoimmune diseases. The test can also at times be positive if one has the following
ANA in Rheumatic Diseases
Lupus – When the test is positive it highly shows that one is suffering from an autoimmune condition like lupus. This is a disease that destroys joints, one’s skin and other body organs. A 95 percent of all persons having this disease will have a positive test result for antinuclear antibodies.
Sjogren’s Syndrome – This condition individual has symptoms such as dry mouth and eyes.
Scleroderma – This is a condition that affects the connective tissue.
Rheumatoid Arthritis – Is a condition that destroys the joints, causing pain and inflammations to the an individual.
Polymyositis – This ailment causes the muscles to weaken.
Juvenile Chronic Arthritis – This kind of autoimmune arthritis affects children.
Chronic Arthritis – It affects infants, due to autoimmune arthritis.
Dermatomyositis – This is an uncommon condition that leads to weakening of the muscles, individual with this condition have rashes.
Polyarteritis Nodosa – This condition makes the blood veins to swell and destroys the body organs.
Another very rare condition combines both scleroderma and polymyositis, the ailment makes one to have symptoms of lupus condition and affects the connective tissue.
ANA in Non Rheumatic Disease
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Graves’ disease
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Hepatitis C
- HIV infection
Lymphoma is also known as lymphatic cancer and affects the lymphatic body system, that is a portion of the body structure that assists in keeping the body away from germs infection. When symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, having excess tiredness, loss of weight, which cannot be explained, having excess, excessive sweating at night, feeling short of breath are signs of a person suffering from lymphoma.
The lymphatic network is made up of lymph nodes or lymph nodes, the spleen, thymus gland, and the bone marrow. Lymphatic cancer tends to attack any of these parts and the other organs generally in the whole of the body.
Predisposing Factors For Positive ANA Test
About 20% of all persons who are healthy will have a positive test result for antinuclear antibodies, though this does not prompt that they are suffering from an autoimmune condition or ailment.
One is more predisposed to get a positive test if they;
- Are of old age, of above sixty-five years, especially for women.
- Have mononucleosis or tuberculosis, which both are infectious diseases.
- Are already prescribed to blood pressure or anti-seizure medications.
Some medications cause a positive ANA or they highly suspected to lead to lupus condition they include birth control pills or Estrogens, Danazol, Mesalazine, Reserpine, Griseofulvin, Clonidine, Hydroxyurea Gemfibrozil, Allopurinol, Quinine, Minoxidil, Calcium channel blockers, Amiodarone, Spironolactone, Clozapine, Tocainide, Zafirlukast, Omeprazole among others.
Symptoms of Positive ANA
- Having pain of the muscles or the joints
- Having a slight fever
- Having skin rashes
- General body weakness
- Having some mild sensitivity
- The feet are numb at times and tingled
- Suffers from hair loss
- Having joints ache at a time
- Having pleurisy that is, one has difficulty breathing
- Having wounds in their mouth or nose
- Being sensitive to the sun and or any other light
- Suffering from Raynaud’s phenomenon, which tends to make the fingers or toes of a person to be pale or turn purple in color
If an individual has these symptoms, a test may turn positive for disease related to ANA. These diseases may be types of cancer that cause positive ANA.
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