What is the purpose of this panel?
Order this Arthritis Comprehensive Blood Test Panel, Women, to help screen for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and autoimmune diseases, evaluate the severity of the diseases, monitor treatment, and detect potential side effects.
This Arthritis Comprehensive Blood Test Panel, Women includes:
C-Reactive Protein - used as a test for infections, inflammatory diseases, and neoplastic diseases. CRP is a more sensitive, rapidly responding indicator than ESR. CRP may be used to detect early postoperative wound infection and to follow therapeutic responses to anti-inflammatory agents. Progressive increases correlate with increases in inflammation/injury.
Rheumatoid Factor - the test for (RA) rheumatoid factor is used to help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. The test may also 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.
ANA-Antinuclear Antibodies - 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, commonly known as lupus, can be tricky to diagnose correctly. However, because the ANA test result may be positive in many of these other diseases, additional testing can help establish a diagnosis of SLE. In addition, healthcare providers may run other tests considered subsets of the general ANA test and use them with patient symptoms and clinical history to rule out a diagnosis of other autoimmune diseases.
Sedimentation Rate - a 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 that needs further evaluation.
Wellness #2 Essential Panel:
A detailed assessment of overall health and contains 55 separate laboratory tests, including:
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (14 tests) Includes:
- Glucose - blood sugar level, the most direct test to discover diabetes, may be used not only to identify diabetes but also to evaluate how one controls the disease.
- Uric Acid - the blood uric acid test measures the amount of uric acid in a blood sample. Uric acid is produced from the natural breakdown of the body's cells and the foods individuals eat.
- Fluids & Electrolytes:
- Sodium - one of the major salts in the body fluid, sodium is essential in the body's water balance and the electrical activity of nerves and muscles.
- Potassium - helps to control the nerves and muscles.
- Chloride - similar to sodium, helps maintain the body's electrolyte balance.
- Carbon Dioxide, Total -used to help detect, evaluate, and monitor electrolyte imbalances.
Lipid Panel With Total Cholesterol: HDL Ratio:
- Cholesterol, Total - a sterol in the blood. Knowing the cholesterol level may be as important as knowing the blood pressure. Elevated cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
- Triglycerides - fat in the blood that provides energy to the body's cells. Triglycerides should be less than 400 mg/dl even while in a non-fasting state.
- HDL Cholesterol - High-density lipoproteins are believed to take cholesterol away from cells and transport it back to the liver for removal or processing. They are known as the "good" cholesterol, as people with high levels of HDL may have less heart disease. Low HDL could be the result of a lack of exercise and smoking.
- LDL Cholesterol - Low-density lipoproteins contain the most significant percentage of cholesterol and may be responsible for depositing cholesterol on the artery walls. They are known as the "bad" cholesterol.
- Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio - calculated by dividing the total cholesterol by the HDL cholesterol. This is the ratio used by physicians in determining the relative risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Thyroid Panel with Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) - Thyroid function is critical to the metabolism and affects energy level, weight control, heart rate, and more. The thyroid-stimulating hormone is produced in the pituitary gland and stimulates the production of thyroid hormones. The TSH helps to identify an overactive or underachieving thyroid state. This comprehensive evaluation of the thyroid hormone levels includes: T-3 Uptake, T4, T7, and Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
Complete Blood Count (CBC) With Differential and Platelets - A complete blood count (CBC) will give important information about the kinds and numbers of cells in the blood, especially red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A CBC helps health professionals check any symptoms, such as fatigue, weakness, or bruising, that you may have. A CBC also helps diagnose conditions such as anemia, infection, and many other disorders.
Mineral and Bone - Total Iron, Calcium, and Phosphorus
Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (CCP) Antibodies, IgG/IgA, ELISA - The presence of CCP antibodies, when considered in conjunction with other laboratory and clinical findings, is an aid in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Approximately 70% of RA patients are positive for anti-CCP IgG, while only 2% of random blood donors and control subjects are positive.
Creatine Kinase (CPK) - is an enzyme found in the brain, heart, skeletal muscle, and other tissues. Enzymes such as creatine kinase are proteins that help cells to perform their normal functions. Most of this energy in heart and muscle cells is used when muscles contract. There are three different forms of CK in the body, referred to as isoenzymes: CK-MB (found mainly in the heart), CK-MM (located in the skeletal muscles and heart), and CK-BB (found primarily in the brain). The small amount of CK in the blood comes mainly from the muscles. The CK in the brain rarely gets into the blood.
Aldolase - evaluates muscle wasting process. High levels are found in progressive Duchenne muscular dystrophy (MD). Elevations occur in carriers of MD, in limb-girdle dystrophy and other dystrophies, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, and trichinosis, but not in neurogenic atrophies (e.g., multiple sclerosis or in myasthenia gravis). As muscle mass diminishes, aldolase decreases. Serum aldolase elevation is not specific for muscle disease since it is present in many tissues. In progressive dystrophies, aldolase levels may be 10 to 15 times normal when muscle mass is relatively intact, as in the early stages of the disease. When advanced muscle wasting is present, values decline. In inflammatory myopathies (e.g., dermatomyositis), serum aldolase (as well as CK) levels may be applied to monitor the response to steroid therapy. They are of particular value in guiding the tapering of steroid administration. No elevation is found in muscular dystrophy secondary to alteration of the nerves or nerve centers.
Complement C3 - is used to determine whether deficiencies or abnormalities in the proteins part of the complement system contribute to increased infections or increased autoimmune activity, and to monitor the activity of autoimmune diseases. The Complements are tested when individuals have recurrent microbial (usually bacterial) infections, unexplained inflammation or edema, or symptoms of an autoimmune disorder to help monitor an acute or chronic condition affecting the complement system. Increased and decreased complement levels will not tell the healthcare provider what is wrong, but they will give him an indication of whether or not the immune system is involved with the condition. Complement levels can be increased with inflammation, rising before other markers, such as the C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).
