ANA antibodies, food intollerances and mesh question

[UKlady1001]

I have ANA Titre 1/640 on my results and also have low thyroid, low Vit B12 H1,272ng/L, low iron and possible Sjogrens but no ENA antibodies ( dry mouth and eyes. ).  White blood count was L 3.9x10^9/L.  No one has told me what the ANA 1/640 means. Can you explain what this result means?  I also have a grade 3 intussusception, grade 3 rectocele and rectal prolapse.  Will I be able to have mesh put into my body for prolapse operations or will I reject the mesh?

I also have some lost of lactose intollerance and bloat up very badly plus have very bad foul gas as well.  This all started when I went through the menopause.  I have constipation that I have to take laxatives for.

In the last 3 years I have had 2 throat operations to remove my tonsils due to actinomyces as well.
I am very worried about the ANA 1/640 result.  Please can you tell me what this means.
Thank you very much.

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

ANA 1/640 titer means that your serum can be serially diluted 7-times from an initial 1/10 dilution, and it still comes up positive in a nuclear staining test.  This indicates a strong positive result.

Strong positive ANA tests can occur in patients with various autoimmune diseases, but not only autoimmune diseases. ANAs can be found also in patients with infections, cancer, lung diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, hormonal diseases, blood diseases, skin diseases, and in elderly people or people with a family history of rheumatic disease. ANAs are actually found in about 5% of the normal population.

The ANA results are just one factor in diagnosing, and must be considered together with the patient's clinical symptoms and other diagnostic tests.

[UKlady1001]

I also have Herpes Virus type 1 and 2 and have had these for 26 years.  

Thank you

[UKlady1001]

I am also keen to know if having ANA antibodies could mean that my body will reject mesh put into by body for Prolapse operations?

Thank you for your response and help

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

The mesh materials are not usually immunogenic, which means that they don't usually stimulate an immune response.  ANA responses have nothing to do with responses against foreign bodies implanted surgically.
Prof. Nicolson

[Katarina2010]

When and what tests are done to find out if a person has some kind of cancer.  If you have a high positive ANA but Dr. not committing to autoimmune, should he not be looking at that as a possible.  Would any cancer cause high ANA or are they specific.  Sitting and waiting for other possible symptoms of autoimmune without checking for other things sounds a bit scary.  

[UKlady1001]

I too feel like I need to know what is going on inside me due to my high positive ANA.  I do have some symptoms but dont understand how they fit or if there is something I need to be doing to reduce the negative affects of such a high ANA.  

Why do I have such a high ANA?
What does it mean?
What can I do to try to reduce this or reduce any negative health implications?

I feel like I am waiting for a bomb to go off!

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

High ANA values can occur in patients with cancer when the cancer cells are dying due to rapid growth without an adequate blood supply to deliver oxygen, nutrients, etc. and removal of waste products from cells.  Tumors can reach only a small size (a few mm in diameter) without an adequate blood supply, a process called angiogenesis.  If they continue to grow without angiogenesis, then the center of the tumor becomes necrotic with dead and dying tumor cells.  This can be a source of nuclear material that could stimulate an ANA response.  This is why subjects with high ANA levels but no outward symptoms of an autoimmune disease should be checked for cancer.  Similarly, high ANA values have been found in other disease states, which is why a person with a high ANA should undergo a careful analysis to see if they have an undiagnosed health problem. Prof. Nicolson