Perinuclear Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies [PANCA or Panca] show a staining patter when tested. It is often used for diagnostic testing of several conditions or to monitor the progress being made against a specific condition. Ulcterative colitis and Crohn’s Disease are distinguished with the Panca blood test as well.
It measures the amount of autoantibodies that are produced by an individual’s immune system. Instead of attacking intruders, however, the Panca blood test will help to determine if the neutrophils are attacking the proteins that are contained within the white blood cells. There are 3 different types of blood tests that fall under this spectrum. The Panca test will measure the perinuclear pattern.
Why Else is the Panca Blood Test Ordered?
The other primary cause of a Panca blood test is to determine the presence of rheumatoid arthritis. It can also detect about half of the cases of Churg-Strauss Syndrome, most cases of PSC, and a few other specific conditions. It is also ordered when the signs and symptoms of vasculitis may be present. Early vasculitis is often very vague and may be nonspecific, including joint pain and night sweats.
Many different factors go into a positive result from this blood test. For vasculitis, about 90% of the samples that have been taken will have a presence of antibodies. If an inflammatory bowel disease is suspected, the test results may come back negative, yet there still may be an IBD condition present. A biopsy of the affected body part is usually necessary to confirm the diagnosis that is suspected from the blood test.
What If There Is a Positive Test?
Autoantibody levels will vary within the human body over time. They can go up and down naturally. Once they are present, however, they will never go away. It requires specific equipment to perform the Panca blood test, so most blood draws are taken at the doctor’s office and then sent out to a clinical laboratory that specializes in this test. Most people will never have this test ordered.
If there is a positive test, a patient’s treatment team will get together to determine what the next course of action needs to be. For some severe results, nothing short of an organ transplant will be able to correct the issue. Immune system suppression may be an option, as well as other specific treatment options depending on the diagnosis. Those with an inflammatory bowel condition may be give specific dietary instructions to follow.
A positive test may also indicate the presence of a drug-induced lupus. This is why a full treatment team is often used to interpret results. No test preparation is needed to have the Panca blood test completed. It can be done on the same day that it has been ordered.
It is also possible that a positive test is medically insignificant. There are examples of people who are perfectly healthy, yet still have the presence of autoantibodies within the scope of the Panca blood test. A positive result may also indicate that there is an unknown infection somewhere within the body that has yet to be located.
Immediate Follow-Up Is Often Necessary
Because one of the most common diagnosis that comes from a positive test is vasculitis, it is important to seek immediate treatment options. Vasculitis is a term that is given to a series of disorders that will weaken and damage the body’s blood vessels. This eventually leads to organ damage because the blood vessels will narrow and obstruct the flow of blood. Vasculitis has also been known to damage the walls of a blood vessel to increase the chances of an aneurysm, or rupture, occurring.
Some of the diseases or conditions that the Panca blood test can diagnose do not have a cure. They can be effectively treated over time, however, so steroids and other immunosuppresant drugs will become part of the routine. Some symptoms of severe disease can be as simple as asthma and because many of the conditions are quite rare, they may be misdiagnosed.
The best things to do if you have a positive Panca blood test is to adopt a healthy diet if one is not present already. The treatments for the associated conditions can raise blood sugars and eventually cause diabetes. Stop smoking if needed, exercise regularly, and talk with your doctor about protecting your bones.
It is also necessary to keep all doctor appointments. Regular Panca blood tests may be ordered in the future to track the progress of a condition or disease. Maintain a support system, take care of yourself, and stick to the treatment plan that is developed. That will help everyone best manage the results that are received.