Question: 7 years ago during pregnancy I became hypothyroid and gestational diabetes. The hypothyroidism has persisted, although my anti-thyroglobulin is negative. I had an ANA done last year that was positive, atypical speckled 1:160. This year the repeat ANA was positive, 1:320, nucleolar and speckled. Other than severe anxiety over the lab tests, I feel fine, just have the hypothyroidism and menopause. What could this be? All of the other lab tests have been negative. I'm so worried!

Hi, Thank you very much for your response. I have not had any symptoms of SLE, that I am aware of. I actually feel fine, other than anxiety, just the lab work is abnormal. No rash, no aching joints, nothing else. I originally had an ANA test performed last year when my chemistry panel for my annual physical showed elevated liver enzymes. I was diagnosed with menopause at the same time and had been sick and had taken Zithromax. My GI doctor ordered another chemistry and ANA that I am attaching to this question (this was done in 2015). This was the first time I had an ANA test performed. The GI doc didn't know why it was elevated, and said it was only slightly elevated, check it again next year, which I did. He thought the elevated liver enzymes were due to medication. This has been the only time I've ever had elevated liver enzymes. This year, my ANA titer is even higher at 1:320. But nothing else is positive. My family doc ordered an ANAchoice which was negative, RF negative. I had another provider run labs on me with a different lab company and it shows ANA titer at 1:320, but negative Sjogren's antibodies, negative XXXXXXX etc. I never had an explanation of why my thyroid quit working in early pregnancy, and no one has ever told me that I have Hashimoto's. I would like to think that the ANA is elevated simply from my thyroid, which I can live with. I am just scared of something else being wrong. Unfortunately, I don't handle things being wrong with me very well, hence the anxiety. Is the ENA information on the last page of the Bioreference lab report I attached? If not, then I must not have had one.

Thank you for your expertise. I will just assume that the elevated ANA is not anything serious and it's either my ongoing thyroid issue or related to the EBV. I will do my best not to worry and your evaluation of my situation certainly helps me feel more at ease.
Thank you very much!