Looking at the list of possible blood tests, you can be very surprised. Often a person has to take the same tests: a general, for Wasserman's reaction, to sugar. And with some studies, such as, for example, a rheumatoid factor, only a certain category of people are confronted.
When is the rheumatoid factor analyzed?
Blood tests for rheumatoid factor allow to identify and determine the amount of immunoglobulin antibodies. Antibodies are produced by the body. They try to attack healthy tissues, mistaking them as alien. You probably had to see a blood test for IgM in the price lists of laboratories. It is intended for the detection of rheumatoid factor.
Immunoglobulin antibodies help to determine the presence of an inflammatory process in the body and assess the condition of autoimmune activity. The main purpose of the analysis for the rheumatoid factor in the blood is the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome and some autoimmune diseases (for the latter, that is true, additional tests are required). With the help of the study, these diagnoses can easily be distinguished from other diseases with similar symptoms.
Assign an analysis of the rheumatoid factor to patients with such symptoms:
- edema and swelling of the joints;
- pain and burning;
- difficulty in joint mobility;
- dryness of the mucosa (dryness of the eyes and mouth - one of the most important symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome );
- damage to the skin;
- unreasonable nervousness;
- fatigue, loss of strength.
Due to the analysis of blood on the rheumatoid factor, it is possible to reveal various pathologies:
- some forms of oncological diseases;
- systemic scleroderma;
- infectious and viral diseases (including chronic forms);
- kidney and liver diseases;
- bacterial lesions.
The norm of rheumatoid factor in the blood
As with most other components of the blood, certain normal indices were taken for the rheumatoid factor. It is believed that in an ideally healthy body, immunoglobulin antibodies should not be at all. As practice showed, absolutely healthy people are not so easy to meet. Therefore, the majority in the body rheumatoid factor is still present.
Normal test results for rheumatoid factor can be considered if the amount of immunoglobulin antibodies is within 10 units per milliliter of blood. For adult women and men, the norm of rheumatoid factor is the same and can range from 12.5 to 14 units. In elderly people, the amount of immunoglobulin antibodies may be slightly increased, and this is quite normal.
The reason for concern may be rheumatoid factor, increased several times. Various factors can provoke a sharp increase in immunoglobulin antibodies. Among the most common reasons are the following:
- polymyositis;
- syphilis;
- tuberculosis;
- flu;
- rubella;
- hepatitis;
- leukemia;
- cirrhosis;
- nodular periarteritis;
- lupus erythematosus and others.
If the cause of rheumatoid factor increase is infectious mononucleosis, the amount of immunoglobulin antibodies will be less than in rheumatoid arthritis.
Although the analysis for the rheumatoid factor is effective, it is not recommended to rely solely on it for diagnosis and treatment. It all depends on your health. There are cases when, in rheumatoid arthritis, the patient has no antibodies in the body. To exclude the error, it is advisable to undergo a comprehensive medical examination.