Get tested with Superpower

If you’ve been postponing blood testing for years or feel frustrated by doctor appointments and limited lab panels, you are not alone. Standard healthcare is often reactive, focusing on testing only after symptoms appear or leaving patients in the dark.

Superpower flips that approach. We give you full insight into your body with over 100 biomarkers, personalized action plans, long-term tracking, and answers to your questions, so you can stay ahead of any health issues.

With physician-reviewed results, CLIA-certified labs, and the option for at-home blood draws, Superpower is designed for people who want clarity, convenience, and real accountability - all in one place.

Key benefits of ANA (antinuclear antibody) testing

• Screens for autoimmune diseases like lupus, scleroderma, and Sjögren's syndrome early.
• Explains unexplained joint pain, fatigue, rashes, or persistent low-grade fevers.
• Guides your doctor toward the right specialist or targeted treatment plan.
• Tracks disease activity over time when you have a known autoimmune condition.
• Clarifies whether symptoms stem from autoimmune inflammation or another cause.
• Protects fertility by identifying autoimmune factors that may affect pregnancy outcomes.
• Best interpreted with your symptoms, exam findings, and other autoimmune markers.

What is ANA (antinuclear antibody)?

ANA is an antibody produced by your immune system that mistakenly targets proteins inside the nucleus of your own cells. Normally, antibodies defend you against foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. But in certain conditions, the immune system loses its ability to distinguish self from non-self and begins attacking your body's own tissues.

When your immune system turns inward

These autoantibodies bind to nuclear components such as DNA, histones, and other proteins that package and regulate your genetic material. Their presence signals that immune tolerance has broken down.

A marker of autoimmune activity

ANA serves as a screening tool for autoimmune diseases, particularly connective tissue disorders like lupus, scleroderma, and Sjögren's syndrome. While ANA itself doesn't cause symptoms, it reflects underlying immune dysregulation.

Not always a sign of disease

Low levels of ANA can appear in healthy people, especially with aging, infections, or certain medications. The pattern and concentration matter, which is why ANA is just one piece of a larger diagnostic puzzle.

Why is ANA (antinuclear antibody) important?

ANA is a screening test that detects antibodies your immune system mistakenly makes against proteins in your own cell nuclei. It serves as an early warning system for autoimmune activity, where the body's defense mechanisms turn inward and begin attacking healthy tissue. This biomarker doesn't diagnose a specific disease but signals whether your immune system may be misdirected, prompting further investigation into conditions like lupus, Sjögren's syndrome, or scleroderma.

When the test comes back negative

A negative or low-titer ANA result generally means no significant autoimmune antibody activity is present. Your immune system is functioning normally without attacking your own tissues. This finding helps rule out many systemic autoimmune diseases, though it doesn't exclude all of them, as some conditions can exist with negative ANA early on or in specific subtypes.

When antibodies appear in the blood

Positive ANA results, especially at higher titers, suggest your immune system is producing antibodies against nuclear components. This can lead to widespread inflammation affecting joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, and blood vessels. Symptoms range from persistent fatigue and joint pain to rashes, fever, and organ-specific dysfunction. Women of childbearing age show positive ANA more frequently than men, and certain patterns correlate with specific autoimmune diseases.

The immune surveillance picture

ANA reflects the delicate balance of immune tolerance. Chronic positive results, particularly with rising titers or specific patterns, may precede clinical autoimmune disease by years, affecting quality of life and organ function if inflammation goes unrecognized.

What do my ANA (antinuclear antibody) results mean?

Low or negative ANA results

Low values usually reflect the absence of detectable antibodies against nuclear components, which is the expected finding in most healthy individuals. A negative ANA suggests that the immune system is not producing significant levels of autoantibodies targeting the cell nucleus, indicating low likelihood of systemic autoimmune activity at the time of testing.

Optimal ANA results

Being in range means your test is negative or below the threshold considered clinically significant. For ANA, optimal is negative, as this marker is not meant to have a "healthy level" but rather to be absent. A negative result supports normal immune regulation without inappropriate self-targeting of nuclear antigens.

High or positive ANA results

High values usually reflect the presence of autoantibodies directed against nuclear proteins or DNA, signaling potential autoimmune activity. Positive ANA can occur in conditions like systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, scleroderma, and mixed connective tissue disease. However, low-titer positives are also common in healthy individuals, especially women and older adults, and may not indicate disease.

Factors that influence ANA interpretation

ANA results depend on titer level, pattern, and clinical context. Many healthy people test weakly positive without symptoms. Certain medications, infections, and aging can trigger transient positivity. Diagnosis of autoimmune disease requires correlation with symptoms, physical findings, and additional specific antibody tests.