@rutgersmom123 ANA is really just a screening test and not a great one at that. It screens for lupus, RA, scleroderma, Sjogrens. The results are very subjective since a person looks at a specimen on a slide through a microscope. Two people looking at the same slide might and often do come up with different answers. CCP is a more specific test and is indicative of RA but even that has its issues and so there are other tests and the patient’s symptoms to consider as well.
My ANA was negative but I had antibodies for two other conditions that were strongly positive. A few months later…after treatment, the antibodies were negative and my ANA was very weakly positive! It’s complicated!