RA is an autoimmune arthropathy where body’s own immune system starts setting up an inflammatory response against joints. While it’s always better if a patient visits his physician for diagnosis of the disease, here are certain diagnostic criteria applicable for rheumatoid arthritis, which will help patients to have a better idea about the diagnosis of RA.
. Rheumatoid Factor (RA factor):
- Rheumatoid Factor is basically an autoantibody found in the blood of the patients, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The presence of RF factor in the blood of the patient signifies autoimmune inflammatory disease process. As this was the first antibody which was found associated with rheumatoid arthritis it is named as RF factor.
- An antibody is produced by our immune system as a part of body’s defense against external infections or external harmful stimuli. An autoantibody is an antibody produced against another antibody, which later on combines chemically to form complexes which trigger the inflammatory changes in the disease process.
- It carries high significance as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis disease process.
- It exhibits very high specificity as well as good sensitivity in the diagnosis of RA. Its presence in patient strongly supports the clinical diagnosis of RA made by your doctor. As it is little less sensitive test, its absence in the blood doesn’t rule out the diagnosis of RA. High levels of rheumatoid factor in the blood indicate intense and progressive autoimmune pathology in the body which ultimately causes more damage to joint.
- Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis: Patients who are clinically diagnosed to have RA, but test negative for RA factor are said to have seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. Most of these seronegative RA patients later transform into seropositive patients, as they develop Rheumatoid factor in their blood with the advancement of disease pathology.
- Patients who test positive for RA Factor are said to have seropositive rheumatoid arthritis.
- The presence of Rf factor can sometimes relate to autoimmune disease other than rheumatoid arthritis.