What the risks are:

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining blood from some people may be more difficult than from others.

Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but may include:

• Excessive bleeding
• Fainting or feeling light-headed
• Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)

Special considerations:

The ANA can be positive in relatives of people with SLE who do not have SLE themselves.

A positive ANA always needs further evaluation, including a careful history, physical exam, and blood tests for other antibodies, espeically anti-double-strand DNA antibodies.

If the only finding is a low titer of ANA and everything else is negative, there is only a 5% chance of that patient developing systemic lupus erythematosis at some time later in life.