Advanced Female Fertility Tests - Anti Nuclear Antibodies

In addition to such advanced female fertility tests as a hysteroscopy and a sonohysterogram, an anti nuclear antibodies blood test can help to diagnose the causes of female infertility. As such, an anti nuclear antibodies test can be helpful in the treatment of female fertility problems and help to improve her odds of getting pregnant.

What Are Anti Nuclear Antibodies?

Anti nuclear antibodies (also referred to as antinuclear antibodies) are a unique type of antibodies that have the ability to bind to certain structures within the cell’s nucleus, which is the core part of the cell.

Anti nuclear antibodies generally indicate autoimmunity and therefore can be a sign of autoimmune disease. As such, these antibodies have been linked to such autoimmune diseases as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and pernicious anemia. In addition, antinuclear antibodies have been linked to diseases other than autoimmune diseases, including chronic infections and cancer.

Anti Nuclear Antibodies and Infertility

While anti nuclear antibodies are present in small amounts in about 5% of the population, high amounts of these antibodies are linked to fertility problems, including unexplained infertility and miscarriage.

In fact, many women with high levels of anti nuclear antibodies are unable to conceive or to carry a pregnancy to term. Irregular anti nuclear antibodies levels are also linked to implantation failure as well as miscarriage, due to the inflammation of the uterus and placenta with which anti nuclear antibodies are linked.

An abnormal presence of these cells in the body is also linked to a low pregnancy success rate for methods of assisted reproduction, especially intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

Anti Nuclear Antibodies Blood Test Procedure

Your fertility specialist will conduct a blood test in order to evaluate the level of antinuclear antibodies in your bloodstream. Test results are typically available after a few days, following comprehensive analysis in the laboratory.

Antinuclear antibodies are measured in units known as titers. A negative result of less than or equal to 1:40 titers means that levels of antinuclear antibodies are low and that irregular amounts of antinuclear antibodies are likely not the cause of female fertility problems.

However, a positive result of levels of antinuclear antibodies above 1:40 titers means that antinuclear antibodies can be contributing to infertility.

If you test positive, there are a variety of infertility treatment options available. The most effective treatment for anti nuclear antibodies is fertility drug therapy. Prednisone is one particularly beneficial drug therapy treatment; upwards of 54% of women taking this drug successfully conceive during their next fertility treatment cycle.