More U.S. Residents Have Antinuclear Antibodies Now Than in the 1990s

The most striking relative increase in prevalence occurred in teens.

Antinuclear antibody (ANA) tests are positive in patients with lupus and various other autoimmune diseases. Although many positive ANA tests seem to be false positives, positive ANAs have been shown to herald the onset of systemic rheumatic disease years later in some patients. Positive ANAs have been associated with aging, female sex, certain medications, thyroid disease, and other chronic diseases.

In this study, investigators evaluated the prevalence of ANA positivity (i.e., titer of 1:80 or greater) among representative samples of teens and adults (age, ≥12 years) in the U.S. population during a recent 25-year span. Data were adjusted for sex, age, race/ethnicity, and other factors. The overall prevalence of ANA positivity was about 11% …

Reviewing Author

Jonathan S. Coblyn, MD

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Consultant / Advisory BoardCVS Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Jonathan S. Coblyn, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory BoardCVS Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

More U.S. Residents Have Antinuclear Antibodies Now Than in the 1990s

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Reviewing Author