ANA-ANTI NUCLEAR ANTIBODIES

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are self-directed antibodies targeting nuclear components like double and single-stranded DNA and histones. The ANA test utilizes a fluorescent-labeled immunoglobulin to identify these antibodies in the patient’s serum against nuclear components. Traditionally, rat liver serves as a source of nuclear components in this method. Patient samples, subjected to sequential dilutions for ANA titer determination, are incubated with rat liver. In the presence of antibodies against nuclear components, they bind to the nuclei in the liver. Subsequently, the bound antibodies are identified using a species-specific fluorescent-labeled secondary antibody, visualized through fluorescent microscopy. Diverse immunofluorescent patterns, including homogenous, speckled, and nucleolar, may be observed. Importantly, in the context of Hypro Diagnostics, these patterns in dogs lack specificity for particular antibodies or diseases, emphasizing the necessity for species-specific fluorescent antibodies, currently available exclusively for dogs and cats.