Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPurpose of the TestRisks and ContraindicationsBefore the TestDuring the TestAfter the TestInterpreting ResultsA Word From VerywellFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Purpose of the Test
Risks and Contraindications
Before the Test
During the Test
After the Test
Interpreting Results
A Word From Verywell
Frequently Asked Questions
Sjögren’s antibodies include anti-SS-A (also called anti-Ro) and anti-SS-B (also called anti-La). These antibody levels can be measured in the blood.
Typically, interpretation of elevated levels of anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B antibodies is made with consideration of other tests, including other inflammatory markers in the blood.
Getty Images / Ariel Skelley
Sjögren’s antibody levels are measured as part of the diagnostic evaluation of symptoms that could be associated with this and other autoimmune conditions. These antibody levels may also be measured to assess the risk of heart disease in people who have autoimmune diseases.
Sometimes, Sjögren’s antibody testing is indicated for people who are pregnant and have an autoimmune disease because elevated levels are associated with newborn heart disease and neonatal lupus.
Symptoms that might indicate a need for Sjögren’s antibody testing include:
Dry Eyes in Sjögren’s Disease
What Are Sjögren’s Antibodies?
Normally, the body has minimal or undetectable levels of antibodies against the Ro and La proteins, but IgG antibodies to these proteins can develop in some conditions. Elevated anti-SS-A antibodies and/or anti-SS-B antibodies indicate inflammatory connective tissue disease, especially Sjögren’s disease.
Your healthcare provider might order these tests for you if there is a concern that you could have:
There are no health contraindications to (reasons against) having Sjögren’s antibody testing. The test is a blood test with minimal risks.
Your healthcare provider will take your medical history and do a physical examination. If there is a concern that you could have Sjögren’s disease or another autoimmune connective tissue disorder with inflammation, you might need to have this test.
Timing
You should devote approximately one hour for your antibody test and the registration and pretesting process, but the blood test procedure itself should take only about 10 minutes.
Location
You will likely have this test as an outpatient. It may be done in your healthcare provider’s office during your appointment, or you might need to go to a clinic or lab to have your blood drawn.
What to Wear
You can wear anything comfortable to your appointment. Make sure you can roll up your sleeves for access to your antecubital area (the part of your inner arm at the level of your elbow).
If you want to cover your bandage after your test, you can wear a loose jacket or a loose long-sleeved shirt.
Food and Drink
You do not need to modify your food or drink intake before or after this test. However, if you are having other tests drawn at the same time, they may have restrictions, so check with your healthcare provider’s instructions.
Cost and Health Insurance
The cost of this test varies and can range between $200 to $500. Typically, other tests are ordered with Sjögren’s antibody tests, and they would have an additional cost. Many health insurance plans cover the full or partial cost of Sjögren’s antibody testing done for a clinical indication.
What to Bring
When you go to your test appointment, you will need to have your test order form, identification, and health insurance information. You do not need to make any special transportation arrangements—you can drive after this test if you normally drive.
When you go to your test appointment, you will need to register and sign a consent form. You will go to the area where your blood will be drawn, and you might have your vital signs checked—temperature, breathing rate, pulse, and blood pressure.
Throughout the Test
You will sit for your test, and you will likely be asked from which arm you would like to have your blood drawn. You will rest your arm, roll up your sleeves above your elbows, and the nurse orphlebotomistwill cleanse your skin where the needle will be inserted.
You will have an elastic band wrapped around your upper arm, and a needle will be inserted into a vein to collect the blood into a tube. The needle will remain in place for several seconds while the tubes are filled. If you are having several tests, more than one tube may be filled.
You will have a bandage placed on the area, and you might have gauze wrapped around as well. You may be given additional bandages, and you will be instructed to keep the puncture site covered for a period of time after your test.
Post Test
You should be able to resume your normal activities after your test. You might be instructed to avoid heavy lifting with the arm in which you had the needle puncture for one day after your blood test. You can bathe, shower, and swim after your test.
Managing Side Effects
You may develop a painless bruise near the puncture site. This should get better within a week. If you experience persistent bleeding, a fever, pain, redness, swelling, or oozing near your puncture site, call your healthcare provider or get urgent medical attention.
You will likely have a follow-up appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss your results.
About 50% of patients with Sjögren’s have autoantibodies in their blood.The presence of antibodies can help differentiate primary Sjögren’s disease from associated Sjögren’s disease (when it occurs with another autoimmune condition).
Anti-SS-A antibodies are more common than anti-SS-B antibodies. Anti-SS-B antibody is more specific for Sjögren’s disease, and anti-SS-A antibody is more likely with other autoimmune conditions, such as SLE and rheumatoid arthritis.
Anti-SS-A antibodies can be present inQT prolongation arrhythmia, and its presence may suggest that a person is predisposed to ventricular arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death.In some instances, further cardiac evaluation and treatment may be needed to prevent complications.
Autoimmune congenital heart block (CHB) occurs in 2% of children exposed to anti-Ro/SS-A before their birth. The recurrence rate is nine times higher in subsequent pregnancies.Mothers of babies at risk for this heart defect might be treated with medication during pregnancy to prevent the condition.
Everything to Know About Congenital Heart Disease
You might need to have additional testing or follow-up testing. If you have been treated for a connective tissue disease, your Sjögren’s antibody test results might change, but this is not necessarily used as a guide for treatment. Typically, symptoms are the guide for modifying treatment, rather than Sjögren’s antibody test results.
A number of inflammatory conditions can cause an increase in Sjögren’s antibodies. These tests are used in combination with a medical history, clinical examination, and other diagnostic tests to help guide the diagnosis and determine the best treatment course for your condition.
Frequently Asked QuestionsAnti-SS-A and anti-SS-B are autoantibodies that are associated with Sjögren’s disease. Anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies attack healthy glands that produce tears and saliva and can be present in several autoimmune conditions.Elevated Sjögren’s antibodies—anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B—are suggestive of inflammatory connective tissue disease. Elevated results on this test may indicate Sjögren’s disease or another autoimmune disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.No, but there is a lot of overlap between the two conditions. Up to 18% of people with lupus also have Sjögren’s disease.Sjögren’s disease also commonly co-occurs in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B are autoantibodies that are associated with Sjögren’s disease. Anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies attack healthy glands that produce tears and saliva and can be present in several autoimmune conditions.
Elevated Sjögren’s antibodies—anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B—are suggestive of inflammatory connective tissue disease. Elevated results on this test may indicate Sjögren’s disease or another autoimmune disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
No, but there is a lot of overlap between the two conditions. Up to 18% of people with lupus also have Sjögren’s disease.Sjögren’s disease also commonly co-occurs in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ramos-Casals M, Acar-Denizli N, Vissink A, Sjogren Big Data Consortium, et. al.Childhood-onset of primary Sjögren’s syndrome: phenotypic characterization at diagnosis of 158 children.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 Jan 25:keab032. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keab032Lazzerini PE, Cevenini G, Qu YS, et. al.Risk of QTc interval prolongation associated with circulating anti-Ro/SSA antibodies among US veterans: An observational cohort study.J Am Heart Assoc.2021 Feb 3:e018735. doi:10.1161/JAHA.120.018735De Carolis S, Garufi C, Garufi E, De Carolis MP, Botta A, Tabacco S, Salvi S.Autoimmune congenital heart block: A Review of biomarkers and management of pregnancy.Front Pediatr.2020 Dec 22;8:607515. doi:10.3389/fped.2020.607515Utomo SW, Putri JF.Infections as risk factor of Sjögren’s syndrome.Open Access Rheumatol. 2020Nov 10;12:257-266. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S276727Barcelos F, Martins C, Madeira N, Ângelo-Dias M, Cardigos J, Alves N, Vaz-Patto J, Cunha-Branco J, Borrego LM.Lymphocyte subpopulations in Sjögren’s syndrome are distinct in anti-SSA-positive patients and related to disease activity.Clin Rheumatol. 2021 Jan 14. doi:10.1007/s10067-020-05537-yPasoto SG, Adriano de Oliveira Martins V, Bonfa E.Sjögren’s syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus: links and risks.Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:33-45. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S167783
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ramos-Casals M, Acar-Denizli N, Vissink A, Sjogren Big Data Consortium, et. al.Childhood-onset of primary Sjögren’s syndrome: phenotypic characterization at diagnosis of 158 children.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 Jan 25:keab032. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keab032Lazzerini PE, Cevenini G, Qu YS, et. al.Risk of QTc interval prolongation associated with circulating anti-Ro/SSA antibodies among US veterans: An observational cohort study.J Am Heart Assoc.2021 Feb 3:e018735. doi:10.1161/JAHA.120.018735De Carolis S, Garufi C, Garufi E, De Carolis MP, Botta A, Tabacco S, Salvi S.Autoimmune congenital heart block: A Review of biomarkers and management of pregnancy.Front Pediatr.2020 Dec 22;8:607515. doi:10.3389/fped.2020.607515Utomo SW, Putri JF.Infections as risk factor of Sjögren’s syndrome.Open Access Rheumatol. 2020Nov 10;12:257-266. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S276727Barcelos F, Martins C, Madeira N, Ângelo-Dias M, Cardigos J, Alves N, Vaz-Patto J, Cunha-Branco J, Borrego LM.Lymphocyte subpopulations in Sjögren’s syndrome are distinct in anti-SSA-positive patients and related to disease activity.Clin Rheumatol. 2021 Jan 14. doi:10.1007/s10067-020-05537-yPasoto SG, Adriano de Oliveira Martins V, Bonfa E.Sjögren’s syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus: links and risks.Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:33-45. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S167783
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ramos-Casals M, Acar-Denizli N, Vissink A, Sjogren Big Data Consortium, et. al.Childhood-onset of primary Sjögren’s syndrome: phenotypic characterization at diagnosis of 158 children.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 Jan 25:keab032. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keab032Lazzerini PE, Cevenini G, Qu YS, et. al.Risk of QTc interval prolongation associated with circulating anti-Ro/SSA antibodies among US veterans: An observational cohort study.J Am Heart Assoc.2021 Feb 3:e018735. doi:10.1161/JAHA.120.018735De Carolis S, Garufi C, Garufi E, De Carolis MP, Botta A, Tabacco S, Salvi S.Autoimmune congenital heart block: A Review of biomarkers and management of pregnancy.Front Pediatr.2020 Dec 22;8:607515. doi:10.3389/fped.2020.607515Utomo SW, Putri JF.Infections as risk factor of Sjögren’s syndrome.Open Access Rheumatol. 2020Nov 10;12:257-266. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S276727Barcelos F, Martins C, Madeira N, Ângelo-Dias M, Cardigos J, Alves N, Vaz-Patto J, Cunha-Branco J, Borrego LM.Lymphocyte subpopulations in Sjögren’s syndrome are distinct in anti-SSA-positive patients and related to disease activity.Clin Rheumatol. 2021 Jan 14. doi:10.1007/s10067-020-05537-yPasoto SG, Adriano de Oliveira Martins V, Bonfa E.Sjögren’s syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus: links and risks.Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:33-45. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S167783
Ramos-Casals M, Acar-Denizli N, Vissink A, Sjogren Big Data Consortium, et. al.Childhood-onset of primary Sjögren’s syndrome: phenotypic characterization at diagnosis of 158 children.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 Jan 25:keab032. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keab032
Lazzerini PE, Cevenini G, Qu YS, et. al.Risk of QTc interval prolongation associated with circulating anti-Ro/SSA antibodies among US veterans: An observational cohort study.J Am Heart Assoc.2021 Feb 3:e018735. doi:10.1161/JAHA.120.018735
De Carolis S, Garufi C, Garufi E, De Carolis MP, Botta A, Tabacco S, Salvi S.Autoimmune congenital heart block: A Review of biomarkers and management of pregnancy.Front Pediatr.2020 Dec 22;8:607515. doi:10.3389/fped.2020.607515
Utomo SW, Putri JF.Infections as risk factor of Sjögren’s syndrome.Open Access Rheumatol. 2020Nov 10;12:257-266. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S276727
Barcelos F, Martins C, Madeira N, Ângelo-Dias M, Cardigos J, Alves N, Vaz-Patto J, Cunha-Branco J, Borrego LM.Lymphocyte subpopulations in Sjögren’s syndrome are distinct in anti-SSA-positive patients and related to disease activity.Clin Rheumatol. 2021 Jan 14. doi:10.1007/s10067-020-05537-y
Pasoto SG, Adriano de Oliveira Martins V, Bonfa E.Sjögren’s syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus: links and risks.Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:33-45. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S167783
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