Anti Smooth Muscle Antibody Test – Why am I having this test?
Anti smooth muscle antibody test is performed in order to:
- Help diagnose a type of liver damage that occurs when immune cells (antibodies) attack other parts of the body. This condition is called autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (CAH).
- Investigate and rule out other causes of liver damage.
Your health care provider may perform this test if you develop symptoms such as fatigue and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) along with abnormal findings on liver tests.
What is being tested?
The test measures the amount of ASMA in the blood. ASMA test is not specific for CAH, and it can be positive if you have a viral infection, cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), or cirrhosis.
What kind of sample is taken?
A blood sample is required for this test. It is usually collected by inserting a needle into a blood vessel.
How are the results reported?
Your test results will be reported as either positive or negative for ASMA. Negative means that there is not a significant amount of anti-smooth muscle antibodies in your blood. A positive result means that there is a significant amount of these antibodies in your blood.
What do the results mean?
Increased levels of ASMA may indicate:
- CAH.
- Certain types of infectious hepatitis.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Cancer.
- Asthma.
Talk with your health care provider about what your results mean.
Questions to ask your health care provider
Ask your health care provider, or the department that is doing the test:
- When will my results be ready?
- How will I get my results?
- What are my treatment options?
- What other tests do I need?
- What are my next steps?
Summary
- The anti smooth muscle antibody (ASMA) test is performed in order to help diagnose a condition called autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (CAH).
- The test measures the amount of ASMA in the blood.
- Increased levels of ASMA in the blood may indicate that a patient has CAH.
