Autoimmune Disease Screening - Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Test

Antinuclear antibody testing using fluorescence immunoassay (ANA-IFA) is the gold standard for the primary detection of autoantibodies directed against components of the cell nucleus. Patient serum is exposed to endothelial cells (typically Hep-2 cells), and the binding of antibodies is then detected using a secondary antibody conjugated to a fluorescent dye. The result is presented as a titer and fluorescence pattern, which helps guide the diagnosis toward specific diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).