ANA test - How high is "positive"?

Question

Many sources (reliable and not so) say "positive ANA occur in about 5% of healthy people". I've found references in peer reviewed published research to criteria for "positive" in research as anything from 1:40 to up to 1:80. My ANA is 1:160 and I have fatigue, weight loss, fevers, bad headaches, rashes (face and arms/legs), sometimes disabling joint pain, paresthesia + a family hx of autoimmune disease (mixed connective tissue). But when I ask about my ANA level which is reported "positive" by the labs who run the bloodwork, I've had two doctors dismiss it and quote the old "5% of the healthy population" line. I'm looking for a reliable, more concrete reference what that healthy 5% have as ANA levels (I mean does that 5% include folks at 1:40 and 1:80?) Even some reference to what is used conventionally in a clinical diagnostic (not screening, diagnostic) setting would be helpful. Thanks.

ANA = antinuclear antibodies
They are antibodies to parts of your own cells.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003535.htm

Answer 1

ANA is like a temperature it is non specific. It can be seen in a lot of autoimmune diseases such as MS,Rheumatoid, Lupus, Thyroid disease. 1:160 is elevated but usually not of concern. If it reaches 1:320 then doctors may start looking for an autoimmune disease. The ANA has to be followed for months or years before a diagnosis may be made. It can be elevated after a viral illness. Basically it is an immune response to some trigger. Do not lose sleep over this ANA or look for other things at this time

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Well, the symptoms you described ARE pretty basic and just about anyone could have that from other problems, not just anorexia if that's what this is talking about. Just because you fit those symptoms doesn't mean you're anorexic. Do you have any of the psychological symptoms? That's a main thing you need to look at first because it doesn't seem like you mentioned any of those.