Anti-nuclear antiboies are antibodies directed against the cell nucleus. They are raised in several conditions, usually in an auto-immune condition where the immune system makes antibodies to fight its own body. Normally a test (see External Links) is administered in people with many arthritic type symptoms or skin rashes to exclude systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). The rashes could be over both cheeks and shaped like a butterfly, or a wolf. They are known to affect almost any part of the body including kidneys and brain.