

#RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS DIAGNOSIS CRITERIA SKIN#
Then, there is also psoriatic arthritis, which is a chronic inflammatory disease that impacts the skin and joints. There are distinct differences between osteoarthritis vs. Osteoarthritis is known as the “wear-and-tear” arthritis, but impacts your body differently. A seronegative person may have such low levels of RF or anti-CCP in the body that a blood test does not detect the presence of either.Īs rheumatoid arthritis progresses further, levels of anti-CCP and RF can increase, which would change the diagnosis from seronegative rheumatoid arthritis to seropositive rheumatoid arthritis.Īdditionally, there are other common types of arthritis to be aware of. “Seronegative” simply means the person does not have the same antibodies that a person who is “seropositive” has. When the results show negative for both anti-CCP and RF, but the person still exhibits multiple signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, this is a good indication of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. When a person’s blood test results are positive for anti-CCP or RF, or both, this is a good indication of rheumatoid arthritis. The difference lies in the blood test results. What is the difference between rheumatoid arthritis and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis? This is when your rheumatologist may order X-rays and perform physical exams to assess your joints and identify the signs of RA. ( An estimated 20% of RA patients are seronegative.)Īlthough, either test (RF or anti-CCP) can still come back as positive when RA is not present. If these tests come back negative, but the patient is experiencing the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, this is considered ‘seronegative rheumatoid arthritis’. If this blood test comes back positive for RF and anti-CCP, this indicates seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. (RF and CPP are the antibodies produced by the immune system when it’s working in overdrive, attacking the body’s healthy tissues-which is what happens when RA is present.) To diagnose rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a blood test that identifies the presence of RF (rheumatoid factor) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) is performed. Seropositive is diagnosed when blood tests return positive results (among other tests), and seronegative is diagnosed when blood tests return negative results (among other present signs and symptoms). This disorder specifically targets joints and the tissues surrounding the joints (synovial tissue), which causes the joints and cartilage to become inflamed, swollen, and stiff.Ī person who has rheumatoid arthritis is either seronegative or seropositive. The immune system then produces antibodies to attack these healthy cells. When rheumatoid arthritis is present, the body is perceiving its own tissues, joints, and organs as foreign invaders. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune, inflammatory disorder caused by a person’s immune system mistakenly attacking and destroying healthy cells within the body. Image courtesy of stockdevil at FreeDigitalPhotos.If you are a new patient, save time by printing your paperwork and bring it to your appointment.“How does established rheumatoid arthritis develop, and are there possibilities for prevention?” Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology 2015 29:527-542. van Beers-Tas MH, Turk SA, van Schaardenburg D.“Diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis.” American Family Physician 2011 84:1245-1252. “Imaging in rheumatoid arthritis.” Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology 2011 25:569-584. “Novel Immunotherapeutic Avenues for Rheumatoid Arthritis.” Trends in Molecular Medicine 2016 22:214-229.

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“Developments with experimental and investigational drugs for axial spondyloarthritis.” Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs 2017 26:833-842. “Rheumatoid Arthritis.” Accessed online :

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