Can you be borderline lupus?

A doctor may use the phrase "borderline lupus" when symptoms or blood test results suggest lupus, but there is not enough information for a definite diagnosis.

What are the symptoms of borderline lupus?

This causes symptoms such as swelling, rashes, joint pain, mouth sores and hair loss. It can become more severe if the inflammation spreads to kidneys, the heart, lungs, blood vessels and the brain. Patients often feel exhausted.

Can you have a mild form of lupus?

Signs and symptoms may come on suddenly or develop slowly, may be mild or severe, and may be temporary or permanent. Most people with lupus have mild disease characterized by episodes — called flares — when signs and symptoms get worse for a while, then improve or even disappear completely for a time.

Can you still have lupus with normal blood work?

Dr. Michael Lockshin: The diagnosis of lupus is never made by blood test alone, since some people have positive blood tests but no disease. To make a diagnosis of lupus, you need to have both symptoms and, generally, positive blood tests.

What is borderline SLE?

Conclusions: In our patients, borderline SLE was milder than classic lupus, yet shared a wide spectrum of non-criterial features and also produced clinical subsets. The clinical heterogeneity and multiple antibody profile may suggest that borderline SLE is a forerunner to SLE rather than a separate entity.

Lupus Symptoms - Dr. Lynn Ludmer - Mercy

Does a positive ANA always mean lupus?

If your doctor says your ANA test is “positive,” that means you have antinuclear antibodies in your blood — but it doesn't necessarily mean you have lupus. In fact, a large portion of patients with a positive ANA do not have lupus. Diagnosing lupus is like putting together a puzzle.

What does a mildly positive ANA mean?

In most cases, a positive ANA test indicates that your immune system has launched a misdirected attack on your own tissue — in other words, an autoimmune reaction. But some people have positive ANA tests even when they're healthy.

What can lupus be mistaken for?

What does a borderline result mean?

What does a borderline result mean? A borderline result means that the test was between. normal and abnormal.

What were your first signs of lupus?

Fatigue, fever, joint pain and weight changes are usually the first signs of lupus. Some adults may have a period of SLE symptoms known as flares, which may occur frequently, sometimes even years apart and resolve at other times—called remission. Other symptoms include: Sun sensitivity.

Does mild lupus need treatment?

Some people with mild cases don't need treatment. Those who have more serious symptoms such as kidney problems may need strong medications. Drugs that treat lupus include: Benlysta (belimumab).

Can you have lupus for years and not know it?

Lupus symptoms can also be unclear, can come and go, and can change. On average, it takes nearly six years for people with lupus to be diagnosed, from the time they first notice their lupus symptoms.

What are the top 5 signs of lupus?

The list of potential symptoms of lupus is lengthy. Other symptoms include oral ulcers, enlarged lymph nodes, muscle pain, chest pain, osteoporosis, and depression. Rare symptoms include anemia, dizziness, and seizures.

What does a lupus flare feel like?

During a lupus flare, you could expect to have rashes, joint pain, and possibly a new symptom, too. Some common symptoms of lupus flares include: Painful and swollen joints. Rashes.

What does it mean borderline in autoimmune disease?

Borderline lupus, which can also be known as unspecified connective tissue disease, or probable lupus, or latent lupus, would define a patient who may have a positive ANA without a DNA or Smith antibody (blood tests used to diagnose lupus), who has arthralgias rather than arthritis, a brain fog or memory loss, and no ...

What could be borderline on blood test?

Borderline. Take no action – This means that the doctor has looked at the result and deemed it to be just outside of the normal range and the result is not concerning.

What does borderline mean in medical terms?

An adjectival expediency widely used in medicine for any condition that cannot be neatly placed in one of usually 2 categories (e.g., benign vs malignant), each of which has a distinct clinical significance to therapy and prognosis.

How can you tell if a woman is borderline?

What other autoimmune diseases are similar to lupus?

Can you have a positive ANA and not have an autoimmune disease?

A negative test for ANA may assist health care providers by decreasing the likelihood that a patient's symptoms are caused by an autoimmune disease. Some individuals, even those without a relative with autoimmune disease, may have a positive test for ANA and yet never develop any autoimmune disease.

What is the next step after a positive ANA test?

So if you have a positive ANA, don't panic. The next step is to see a rheumatologist who will determine if additional testing is needed and who will make sure you will get the best care for your particular situation.

Can ANA change from negative to positive?

“A small percentage of people alternated between results,” Dr. Yeo acknowledged, with 9.4% of people going from a positive to a negative result; 10.5% moving from a negative to a positive result, and 1.9% going from positive to negative to positive.

What level of ANA indicates lupus?

The initial requirement of the criteria for lupus diagnosis is a positive ANA test with a titer of at least 80. The numerical value of the titer refers to the ratio of blood serum being evaluated to a dilution agent.

How does lupus show up in blood work?

Antibody blood tests

The test you will hear about most is called the antinuclear antibodies test (the ANA test). 97% of people with lupus will test positive for ANA. ANA connect or bind to the nucleus or command center of the cell. This process damages and can destroy the cells.