Refresher Course: Lupus and ANA Patterns

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There are several patterns of cell formation when the ANA blood test is

run. These include:

Homogeneous pattern:

Disease association:

with high titers = SLE

with low titers = other connective tissue disease

Peripheral pattern:

Disease association:

with high titers = SLE

with low titers = SLE or other connective tissue disease

Speckled pattern:

Disease association:

with high titers = SLE, mixed connective tissue disease, scleroderma, or

Sjögren's

with low titers = other connective tissue disease

Nucleolar pattern:

Disease association:

with high titers = scleroderma and Sjögren's syndrome

with low titers = other connective tissue disease

Centromere pattern:

Disease association:

with high titers = highly suggestive of C.R.E.S.T.; Raynaud's