Antimitochondrial antibody

What the risks are:

• excessive bleeding
• fainting or feeling lightheaded
• hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
• multiple punctures to locate veins

Special considerations:

Antimitochondrial antibodies are not species or organ specific. The antigen that triggers antibody production appears to be a lipoprotein component on the inner mitochondrial membrane (the mitochondria are very small bodies within cells).

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.