Arthritis is a disease condition that involves swelling and inflammation of joints. Joints are points where two or more bones meet such as the hip, knee, and ankles. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common types of arthritis. The typical symptoms of arthritis include inflammation, swelling, and joint pain.
Types of arthritis
Osteoarthritis: It is a common type of arthritis. It mainly occurs in the hips, knees, hands, and spine. Bones lose protective cartilage as people age, allowing new bone spikes to grow in their place. Without the cartilage, the bones in the joint rub together, causing stiffness, swelling, and reduced movement. This makes it more difficult to walk, climb, and do other activities.
Rheumatoid arthritis: It is a chronic disease that causes pain and swelling in the joints. It is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks healthy cells. It mainly targets multiple joints at once, causing inflammation of the joint lining and harming the tissues inside the joints. These tissue injuries may result in deformity and persistent pain.
Gout: It is an inflammatory arthritis that is very painful and affects one joint at a time. The body can build up blood and excess uric acid and form crystals in joints. If these crystals are left untreated, they can form lumps in joints.
Psoriatic arthritis: It is an autoimmune inflammatory disease where the immune system attacks, especially the skin and joints. It usually occurs in people with psoriasis (scaly patches on the skin). These patches may become dry and cracked and cause more pain.
Septic arthritis: It is a painful joint infection caused by bacteria that enter the bloodstream from other body parts. It primarily affects infants and older adults. The knees are the most commonly affected area, although shoulders and hips may also be affected.
Signs and symptoms of arthritis
Common signs and symptoms of arthritis include:
- Joint pain
- Inflammation
- Tenderness
- Skin discoloration
- Heat or warmth near joints
- Reduced range of motion
Blood tests for arthritis
Rheumatoid factor (RF)
The rheumatoid factor test is used to measure the level of rheumatoid factor (RF) in your blood. RF is an autoantibody that responds to the inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis. When your blood encounters a foreign substance such as bacteria, antibodies increase to fight off the foreign substance. However, autoantibodies target and attack the proteins of your own body.
RF is associated with chronic inflammation. Therefore, if you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory disease, your risk of having elevated levels of RF may be higher. Although this autoantibody does not directly contribute to the development of arthritis, it does contribute to inflammation when there is joint damage.
C-reactive protein (CRP):
The C-reactive protein (CRP) test determines the amount of C-reactive protein (CRP) in a blood sample. CRP is a protein produced by the liver. Normally, blood contains low levels of C-reactive protein. The liver releases more CRP into your bloodstream when the body is inflamed. High levels of CRP are common in rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritis diseases.
Antinuclear antibody (ANA):
The antinuclear antibody (ANA) test detects the presence of antinuclear antibodies in your blood. Anti-nuclear antibodies are antibodies (proteins) that react or fight with the body’s normal tissues and organs. ANA test helps in detecting and diagnosing autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP):
CCP antibodies or anti-CCP antibodies attack healthy tissues in the joints, causing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This anti-CCP antibody test looks for CCP antibodies in the blood. This test helps diagnose rheumatoid arthritis in people showing symptoms such as pain, swelling, redness of joints, etc.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR):
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) can determine whether or not you have inflammation in your body. This test examines the rate at which red blood cells or erythrocytes fall (sediment) in a sample of blood that is placed in a tall, vertical tube. Inflammation is indicated by an increased sedimentation rate.
Interpretation of arthritis test results
|
Test name |
Reference |
|
Rheumatoid factor (RF) |
0-20 IU/ml |
|
C-reactive protein (CRP) |
0.3 to 1.0 mg/dL |
|
Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) |
<20 units |
|
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate [Men] |
0-15 mm/hr to 0-20mm/hr |
|
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate [Women] |
0-20 mm/hr/ to 0-30mm/hr |
Elevated levels of RF, CRP, anti-CCP, and ESR may indicate systemic inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory lung diseases, cancer, chronic infections, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or other autoimmune diseases.
Treatment for arthritis
Appropriate treatment plans for arthritis help to relieve symptoms and improve joint function. Medications depend on the type of arthritis. Inflammation and pain in the joints can be reduced by using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Corticosteroids are given in the form of pills or injections to help slow down joint damage. Counterirritants, such as ointments and creams that contain menthol, help to interfere with pain signals and provide relaxation when applied to the skin.
Arthritis is a disease condition that involves swelling and inflammation of the joints. Blood tests are crucial for diagnosing arthritis because they can detect inflammation and the presence of specific antibodies linked to various forms of the disease.
