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Clinical Laboratory DX Exam 2 Practice

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ANA is sensitive for which disease?
Correct Answer:
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Explanation:
Antinuclear antibodies are extremely sensitive for systemic lupus erythematosus; most patients with SLE have ANA detectable, which is why it’s used as a first screening test when lupus is suspected. A positive ANA strongly supports the possibility of SLE, although it’s not specific—many other autoimmune diseases and even some healthy people can have a positive result. Because of that, a positive ANA prompts follow-up testing with more disease-specific antibodies (like anti-dsDNA or anti-Smith) to confirm and refine the diagnosis. In the other conditions listed, ANA can be present but not as consistently or characteristically as in SLE, making systemic lupus erythematosus the disease for which ANA testing is most sensitive.

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