Anti Jo-I Antibody

Antibodies are the disease-fighting proteins that allow your body to fight against infection or disorder. These vital proteins bind with the antigen or foreign substance in the body and destroy them, leaving memory cells behind. 
The Anti-Jo-1 antibody is one such binding protein found in the blood of patients suffering from idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM).

The most commonly occurring IIM diseases include:

• Dermatomyositis 
• Polymyositis
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Arthritis
• Histidyl-tRNA Synthetase syndrome
• Interstitial lung disease

The IIM diseases like Histidyl-tRNA Synthetase syndrome attack muscular strength. This condition usually occurs in adults between 40-60 years and children aged 5-15. However, there is no specific age limit at which it starts deteriorating the body.

Considering the rapid progression of Jo-1 IgG diseases, experts suggest the Anti-Jo-1 Antibody test as a part of a group of tests post a preliminary analysis. The primary symptoms that may prompt your doctor to recommend this test for IIM disorders diagnosis include: 

• Recurrent low-grade fever
• Persistent muscle pain
• Anaemia
• Joint pain and swelling
• Rapid hair loss
• Irregular heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Chronic tiredness
• Lasting dry cough
• Swallowing or breathing difficulty
• Trouble holding items
• Difficulty in walking

As age progresses, the symptoms of anti-Jo-1 antibody diseases start affecting the whole body. The most prominent impacts are seen on the skin, skeletal muscles and lungs. If left undiagnosed or untreated, it can result in a physical disability, respiratory problem and even cardiovascular issues.

Timely detection through the anti-Jo-1 blood test limits the spread of autoimmune diseases. The collection procedure for the anti-Jo-1 diagnosis is pretty simple. A lab technician will draw out a small amount of your blood using a sterilised needle and carefully store it in a vial. Some side effects that you might face after blood sample collection for the Jo-1 test can be:

• Redness or bruising where the needle was inserted
• Spot soreness or pain after the blood draw
• Minor rashes
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea
• A temporary drop in blood pressure or heart rate

Most of these side effects are normal and last for about 1 to 2 days after the anti-Jo-1 antibody test. The aftereffects also depend on the needle treatment and body handling while drawing the sample.

Apollo 24|7 offers the Jo-1 antibody test for a detailed understanding of your current health. The test results are given in Unit terms. To comprehend the report, you can consider the following range:

• Less than 1.0 U is considered negative, implying no presence of Jo-1 IgG antibodies.
• More than or equivalent to 1.0 U signals the presence of an anti-Jo-1 antibody in the bloodstream. 
  
   

  Medically edited by Dr. Sonia Bhatt.