Rheumatoid factor is an antibody that may be present in the blood of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, but can also be present in healthy people and those with other conditions. A blood test can detect it, but a positive result alone is not enough for a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Other factors such as symptoms and medical history must also be considered.
Rheumatoid factor refers to an antibody that may be present in the blood of individuals diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Typically, rheumatoid factor is generally not present in the bloodstreams of the majority of the population. Sometimes, however, it can be detected in a small portion of healthy people. Also, elevated rheumatoid factor may be present in individuals over the age of 65. A simple blood test can detect it, and no special preparation is needed before testing.
In general, although rheumatoid arthritis is the most common medical condition associated with elevated rheumatoid factor, other conditions can also elicit a positive test. Typically, autoimmune disorders, such as Sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus can return a positive rheumatoid factor. Similarly, infections can also play a role in rheumatoid factor positive. Occasionally, patients diagnosed with tuberculosis, bacterial endocarditis, or osteomyelitis may have a positive test.
Typically, the amount or presence of rheumatoid factor is usually measured by a procedure known as an agglutination test. In this procedure, small antibody-coated spheres are combined with the patient’s blood. If rheumatoid factor is present in the blood, the beads will clump or clump together. Another method is called nephelometric testing. This procedure combines the patient’s blood with antibodies that promote blood clotting in the presence of a positive factor.
Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis using this blood test is only one component of making a positive diagnosis. Your doctor will generally only make the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis when there is a positive blood test and when symptoms are present. The most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include morning pain, swelling, and stiffness in one or more joints. Frequently, X-rays of affected joints will show inflamed joint capsules and also bone and cartilage loss.
In addition to rheumatoid antibody testing to detect the presence of rheumatoid arthritis, other blood tests are often used to confirm the diagnosis. A diagnostic blood test called an erythrocyte sedimentation rate or ESR is a test that, when elevated, can indicate medical conditions associated with inflammation in the body. Most often, the rheumatoid arthritis patient will have an elevated ESR because rheumatoid arthritis involves the inflammatory process.
It is important to note that rheumatoid factor antibody testing is neither specific nor diagnostic. Generally, it is usually only found to be diagnostic when other factors are present. Other factors that must be present in conjunction with the antibody blood test are the patient’s symptoms and medical history. Many times, when a positive test result is reported, the doctor may order a repeat test if there are predisposing factors, such as a laboratory error or the presence of an infection.
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