The Role of the Laboratory in the Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Utility of Rheumatoid Factor
August 2011
Rheumatoid factor is the classic marker used for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor is an antibody, either an IgG, IgA, or IgM isotype, that recognizes the Fc portion of an IgG molecule. Most rheumatoid factor assays have reasonable sensitivity for rheumatoid arthritis, generally between 70 and 90%. However, the biggest problem with rheumatoid factor is a lack of specificity. It is found at relatively high frequencies in other connective tissue diseases. It can also be found in healthy individuals. The frequency of positivity for rheumatoid factor is age-related, and may approach 25% in individuals over 60 to 70 years of age. This lack of specificity led to investigations designed to find other diagnostic markers for rheumatoid arthritis.
Utility of Rheumatoid Factor |
Jump to section:
- Introduction
- Introduction to Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Risk Factors Associated with Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Clinical Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
- 1987 Classification Criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis
- 2010 Classification Criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Laboratory Evaluation of Patient with RA
- Utility of Rheumatoid Factor
- Discovery of Anti-Citrulline Antibodies
- Enzymatic Process of Citrullination
- Diagnostic Performance of Anti-Citrulline Antibodies
- Development of Clinical Assays for Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibodies
- Development of Clinical Assays for Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibodies
- Sensitivity and Specificity Comparison Anti-CCP and RF
- Summary
- Questions?
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