All issues > Volume 37(10); 1994

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1994;37(10):1397-1404. Published online October 15, 1994.

Clinical Review of Positive Antinuclear Antibody(ANA) Test in Pediatric Patients

Dong-Jin DJ Choi¹, Kye-Sik KS Shim¹, Hyok H Choi¹, Byoung-Soo BS Cho¹, Sung-Ho SH Cha¹, Jin-Tae JT Suh²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Clinicla Pathology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

The antinuclear antbody (ANA) test have been used to screen the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases. We had retrospectively reviewed the 263 records of pediatric patients with doing ANA tests who admitted at Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University Hospital, from January 1988 to May 1993. The following results were obtained. 1) The positive rate of ANA test in patients with connective tissue diseases is 16 out of 40(40%). In patients with SLE, the positive rate of ANA test is 9 out of 11(82%). 2) The positive predictivity for SLE is 9 out 36(25%). 3) The positive predictivity for connective tissue disease and possible immune disease is 28 out of 36(78%) 4) The false positive rate is 8 out of 36(22%). Thus, the pediatric patients with positive ANA test should be applicable for diagmosis with prudence. 5) The positive anti-dsDNA in patients with the positive ANA is shown in 4 cases and these patients are all SLE. In conclusion, the patients who had repeated positive ANA should be tested Anti-dsDNA antibody, and further clinical and diagnostic evaluation of other ANA assciated diseases.

Keywords :Positive ANA test, Positive anti_dsDNA antibody, Autoimmune disease