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ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) Test and Myasthenia Gravis

ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) Test and Myasthenia gravis. ANA, antinuclear antibodies, is a type of autoantibody. "Autoantibodies are antibodies (immune proteins) that mistakenly target and react with a person's own tissues or organs" https://www.testing.com/tests/autoantibodies/. That is what happens with MG, "With myasthenia gravis (MG), the body attacks areas where nerves communicate with muscles" https://myasthenia-gravis.com/basics.

There is little scientific research on the terms Myasthenia gravis and ANA. Most sources state that "ANA may be positive with a variety of autoimmune diseases, including lupus, Sjögren syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune hepatitis" https://www.testing.com/tests/autoantibodies/. But does that include MG? I am not sure, and I have been having trouble getting a clear answer on this lately. My doctor suggests I look into testing for an additional autoimmune disease as they do not believe the ANA to be linked to MG. But some studies claim MG to be associated with the positive ANA, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2822250/#:~:text=The%20systemic%20lupus%20erythematosus%20(SLE,(ANA)%20and%20thymus%20hyperplasia. Do you test positive for ANA? Does your MG doctor link it to your MG?

I would think the characteristic MG antibodies (1) Acetylcholine receptor (AChR), (2) Muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK), (3) low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4), all autoantibodies, would show up as positive ANA if either were positive. Suppose you were diagnosed with seronegative MG, meaning none of the common MG antibodies are positive. In that case, I think your ANA could test negative. Has someone's doctor told them otherwise? I would love to get more knowledge flowing on this subject.

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