Arthritis #1 Baseline Blood Test Panel

Arthritis #1 Baseline Blood Test Panel includes CRP, RA, ANA, Uric Acid, and Sedimentation Rate.

Description

C-Reactive Protein (CRP)- Used as a test for infections, inflammatory diseases, and neoplastic diseases. CRP is a more sensitive, rapidly responding indicator than Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR). CRP may be used to detect early postoperative wound infection and to follow therapeutic response to anti-inflammatory agents. Progressive increases correlate with increases of inflammation/injury.

Rheumatoid  Arthritis (RA) Factor- The test for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Factor is used to help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. The test may also be used to help diagnose an arthritis-related condition, Sjogren's syndrome. About 80% to 90% of patients with this syndrome have high amounts of RA in their blood.

Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA)- Is used to help diagnose Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and drug-induced lupus, but may also be positive in cases of Scleroderma, Sjogren's Syndrome, Reynaud's Disease, Juvenile Chronic Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome, Autoimmune Hepatitis, and many other autoimmune and non-autoimmune diseases. For this reason, SLE, which is commonly known as Lupus, can be tricky to diagnose correctly. Because the ANA test result may be positive in a number of these other diseases, additional testing can help to establish a diagnosis of SLE. Your doctor may run other tests that are considered subsets of the general ANA test and that are used in conjunction with patient symptoms and clinical history to rule out a diagnosis of other autoimmune diseases.

Uric Acid- The uric acid test is used to learn whether the body could be breaking down cells too quickly or not expelling uric acid quickly enough. The test is also used to monitor levels of uric acid when a patient has had chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

Sedimentation Rate- Blood test used to screen for inflammation, cancer, and infection. A high Sedimentation Rate is found in wide varieties of inflammatory, infectious, and malignant diseases, the presence of an abnormality which needs further evaluation.