Four common ANA staining patterns

In the homogeneous pattern (A), the entire nucleus is diffusely stained. The chromosomes at the metaphase plate are also stained. In the speckled pattern (B), very small, uniform, fluorescent dots are seen throughout the nucleus. The centromere pattern (C) is characterized by the presence of 30 to 60 dots distributed throughout the nucleus in resting cells. The dots localize to chromosomes at the metaphase plate in dividing cells. The nucleolar staining pattern is shown in (D).