“ANA Tests”

Usually, we check the ANA in the diagnosis phase and generally the antibody remains similar even if the disease is well controlled. So tracking ANA at this point is not particularly important or meaningful. It's possible it went down slightly but I wouldn't worry if it's around the same level- that's expected.

Hello, Here is my answer for your question of can years of hydroxychloroquine treatment lower ANA levels: The ANA is an antibody test. The ANA does not mean you have a disease, it means you have the type of immune system that can get a disease. The levels vary in 2 ways. One is the margin of error of the test itself. No test is perfect and ANA levels vary a little bit from one test to another. This is from all the factors that affect the result, including the test chemicals, how the sample was stored, temperature of the sample during testing, etc. The other way is more likely the answer to your question. From year to year, the mix of antibodies that your body makes changes. This is part of your body's adjustments as your health changes from year to year. When people are getting healthier, their body and immune system adjusts and makes less antibodies like the ANA that indicate risk of disease. Treatment with good medication like hydroxychloroquine is one thing that helps this happen. The other major factor is the overall quality of general health - the overall "healthy" level of your diet, sleep and exercise. The overall answer to your question is: Yes, treatment with hydroxychloroquine CAN result in lower ANA levels but this is also affected by other factors so we CAN'T prove that it was the treatment that caused the effect. I hope this answers your question. v/r Dr Thomas Hoffmann Rheumatology

most typically, a patient with lupus will almost always express an ANA. However, medications have been reported to reduce ANA levels.

I rarely recheck an ANA in someone who I have clearly established a diagnosis of lupus. When I follow laboratories in such as setting, I am usually checking the blood count, kidney function, urine for blood or protein, complement levels and anti DNA level

Possibly, more likely ANA fluctuates as can diagnosis, symptoms

It’s certainly possible that someone with a mild case of SLE after being on hydroxychloroquine their ANA can turn negative. This is not true in most cases .