Rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis

X-ray of Rheumatoid Arthritis affecting the hands
After the diagnosis is made, the physician determines if active inflammation is occurring in the body. This is done by a sedimentation rate test. In this test, blood is drawn and allowed to settle over a period of time. A high, or increasing sedimentation rate in the blood indicates active inflammation. A follow-up test determines if the inflammation is increasing or decreasing and the results determine if treatment is needed.
Arthritis News
Cytokines swing between good and bad in the war on autoimmune arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that targets the bone and cartilage. The cytokines BLyS and APRIL are present in the serum of RA patients. In a paper appearing online on October 20 ...
Bone and joint diseases take toll on system
Caring for people with diseases like arthritis is taking a huge toll on the health care system. And despite the huge cost of caring for patients, many are still not getting the treatment they need. ...
Rheumatoid arthritis, contradictory immune responses explain different therapeutic effects
Using a humanized mouse model that mimics the effects of human rheuma-toid arthritis (RA), researchers have discovered that protein growth factors called cytokines in the immune system have both pro- ...
