Research on rheumatoid factor - Causes, symptoms and treatment. MF.
Rheumatoid factor( RF, Rheumatoid factor, RF) is a test often of key importance in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.
Rheumatoid factor is an antibody that reacts with its own antibodies. Rheumatoid factor is usually determined in the blood. In the highest titer, rheumatoid factor is found in rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome. It can also occur in other autoimmune diseases( scleroderma, dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus), certain blood diseases( Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia), infectious diseases( syphilis, tuberculosis, subacute bacterial endocarditis, viral hepatitis, malaria, infectious mononucleosis), sarcoidosis. However, its amount( titer) is usually less than in rheumatoid arthritis.
It should be noted that rheumatoid factor can be detected in very many diseases. Its detection does not always indicate the presence of rheumatoid arthritis and even rheumatic disease. Moreover, the detection of rheumatoid factor does not in itself indicate the presence of the disease( especially in small numbers and / or in the elderly).When interpreting the results, it is necessary to take into account the clinical picture and other examinations.
What is rheumatoid factor( RF, Rheumatoid factor, RF)?
These are special proteins, autoantibodies to class G( IgG) immunoglobulins. With rheumatoid arthritis and some other autoimmune diseases, a state occurs in which the immune system takes its own structures as foreign bodies and begins to produce autoantibodies designed to eliminate its tissues as alien entities. With rheumatoid arthritis, such an autoantibody becomes a rheumatoid factor attacking the body's own immunoglobulins of class G, which changed their state under the influence of viruses or other negative influences. Low RF values are of little diagnostic value. In children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis RF is often negative. In elderly patients, elevated levels of rheumatoid factor can be determined without clinical manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, increased values of rheumatoid factor should be supported by other laboratory and clinical data.
Indications for the appointment of rheumatoid factor analysis:
- rheumatoid arthritis( determination of the activity of the process, prognosis and control of the treatment of the disease);
- other autoimmune diseases;
- is a chronic inflammatory disease.
Preparation for the study: taking blood is performed on an empty stomach;to exclude smoking.
Time of performance: 1 working day.
When are the values raised?
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Sjögren's Syndrome.
- Scleroderma.
- Dermatomyositis.
- Waldenstrom disease( macroglobulinemia).
- Sarcoidosis.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Chronic inflammatory diseases: syphilis, tuberculosis, subacute bacterial endocarditis, chronic active hepatitis, malaria, infectious mononucleosis( usually titer of rheumatoid factor is lower than in rheumatoid arthritis).