Scleroderma Support Group

Yes, I do. That is why I think I may be headed for scleroderma, although right now everything is stable.

Yes my blood work is the same and they are suspecting Shlerdoma but no symptons. Was diagnosed with lupus 10 years ago but now rhemy doesn't think so. marilyn

Yes and my numbers seem to increase every time I have a blood test. My symptoms are more severe now than before.

Well, I've never heard it called nucleolar pattern ana - but if by 'ana' you mean 'anti-nuclear antibodies', yes my levels are on the higher side.

It's what finally convinced my doctor that my symptoms were linked! He just kept giving me drugs and creams to treat the individual symptoms. Now that I think about it he still does! haha! Sheesh! took him 5 years to put it all together!

I have CREST syndrome and have some Sjorgrens symptoms as well.

I have a very high ANA count >1280......& my rheumy said that I have many crossover symptoms with SLE being in the lead....then MCTD....then Raynauds....then Sjorgrens...then RA....then Rhinitis...
I am not sure what you mean with nucleolar pattern ana?? can you ask your rheumy???

There are different patterns for different connective tissue disorders. Right now I am having more symptons of scleredoma in my hands.

The ANA test uses fluorescent chemicals to "tag" the various types of antinuclear antibodies. The different ones attach to different parts of the cell nuclei. Then they look at the cells under the microscope under UV light to identify which part of the cell nuclei are being attacked (which parts glowing fluorescent green). That's the pattern. They also do serial dilutions to tell when the fluorescence fades from sight. That gives the "titre". Generally they start out diluting it 10 X, then double the dilution each time. So the numbers are usually: 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280, 2560. The titre number tells the strength of the antibody reaction. Mine has been as high as 2560. I have multiple autoimmune diseases, so have had all of these: speckled, homogeneous, nucleolar, and centromere. So whenever the ANA test is positive the lab report will also tell the type of staining pattern. Check your lab report and I'm sure you'll find it.

I'm just a mess, I guess. Strangely I use to work at NIH in what was then called the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, and also later on in the National Eye Institute doing Goldman perimetry on one lupus patient after another. Those jobs were back during the summers when I was in optometry school. Makes me wonder if I picked up something at either or both places. Really weird!

I think scleroderma is the worst of my autoimmune diseases though. I also have Hashimoto's but that's treatable. I have probable Sjogren's, but that's mild. And I have intense spine inflammation and some fusion of vertebrae, so probably some ankylosing spondylitis.

Tks Gardener you are well informed I have centromere patern with 1:1600 strong ana positivity with positive anti Ro and La I think the other parts of the blood work are ok with complements normal andanti cardiolipin megatvie . Diagnosis becomes well confusing when one minute they saw mct and primary sjogrens then crest and the other kind of connective tissue opposite to mixed anyhows. There are so many symptoms but me for it is the reduced lung function ,joint pain and brain fog that bothers me most and trying to keep positive but I also want to know the truth not be told one thing then another with the many mendial staff you see

Dawn & all, Has anyone ever run the anticentromere B antibody test on you? It is not one of the usual ENA antibody tests. It is over 98% specific for CREST, so if it is positive and you have as few as 2 of the CREST acronym items, then you have CREST. The test could definitely clear up your diagnosis. So if you haven't had it, you should insist on it, especially if you have 2 of these: calcinosis, Raynaud's, esophageal dysfunction, sclerodactyly or finger swelling, and telangiectasias.

I have not had the anticentromere B test done .However I do have the calcinosis ,raynauds,esophageal dysmobility
and telangiectasias. As well as lung function capacity reduction bronchietasis carpal tunnel syndrome fatigue and sjogrens crikey the list has got pretty long now as of the end of 1 year though I had a few of these over afew years just it never came to a point til one day I just could not bare any weight on my leg to walk .I find it strange how the diagnosis seems to change between the rheumatologist and gastroenterologist being mctd the unclassified .There is mention of sicca and primary sjogrens .I had the thirst problems for years sickness fatigue and pain in my joints ,ulcers and was told to take b6 and rest that I was suffering from depression .Crikey I think I just gave up going to the doctor as I felt like he thought I was deppressive or /hypochondriac