Anti-smooth muscle antibody test: Uses, procedure, and results

Anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMAs) attack several structural proteins in smooth muscle, affecting the liver and other tissues.

The presence of ASMA in the blood indicates that a person may have autoimmune hepatitis or another disease that damages the liver.

In this article, we take a close look at the ASMA test, including its uses, the procedure, and how to interpret the results.

What is an ASMA test used for?

Doctors use the test to check for ASMA in the blood. The antibodies attack the smooth muscle in a person’s body.

The ASMA test can help a doctor determine whether a person has a disease that damages the liver, such as autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, or primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Also, levels of ASMA can be elevated if a person has hepatitis C, infectious mononucleosis, or certain cancers.

These indicate that a person has higher amounts of ASMA in their blood.

The medical community considers results to be abnormal when the amount of ASMA in the blood sample corresponds to a titer of greater than 1:40.

These results can suggest that a person has:

• an autoimmune liver disease
• chronic hepatitis C infection
• infectious mononucleosis
• cancer of the breast or ovaries
• a melanoma

When ASMA levels are high, a doctor will likely request further tests to determine the cause. For example, they may also order an F-actin antibody test to check for antibodies that can indicate hepatitis.

If the results are inconclusive, a doctor may need to perform the test more than once. Also, different labs may return different values.

After determining why ASMA levels are high, the doctor will confirm and explain the diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

Outlook

The ASMA test is a low-risk procedure similar to any routine blood test.

The doctor’s office sends the blood sample to a lab. A lab technician will analyze the levels of ASMA in the blood and return results.

The ASMA test can help a doctor to diagnose autoimmune disorders in the liver and other conditions.

If ASMA levels are high, the doctor may request additional testing before making a diagnosis and recommending a course of treatment.

Source: Read Full Article