![]() It is not exactly known what causes rheumatoid factor to develop in the blood. However, people without any autoimmune disorders can also test positive for rheumatoid factor. Approximately 80% of adult rheumatoid arthritis patients test positive for rheumatoid factor. Rheumatoid factor is commonly associated with rheumatoid arthritis because when the antibody was discovered, it was initially mostly used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor can also cause other symptoms seen in autoimmune disorders like Sjogren’s Syndrome. Typically, these symptoms cause inflammation in the synovium – a layer of soft tissue on the inner surface of joints, eventually leading to rheumatoid arthritis. When triggered, rheumatoid factor antibodies attack the healthy tissue resulting in a variety of symptoms. Rheumatoid factor is one of many antibodies that are known to attack healthy tissue through an autoimmune process. A variety of conditions have been shown to occur from these autoimmune responses. When this occurs, the immune response that is triggered may result in what we now know as an autoimmune disorder. In other words, the antibodies turn against the person’s body damaging their health in the process. Sometimes, however, certain antibodies produced by the immune system may attack healthy proteins. A normal immune response to infection often involves the production of proteins such as antibodies to kill these invading organisms. The immune system is an organized method through which the body fights off infections caused by bacteria, viruses and other organisms. A positive rheumatoid factor test is also used to determine a general prognosis for rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children. Because rheumatoid factor may be present in other conditions, and in some healthy people, the test for it should be combined with other tools and criteria for it to be useful in diagnosis. Today, a positive rheumatoid factor test is mostly used as a supportive tool to help doctors reach a diagnosis. For decades, a positive rheumatoid arthritis test was used to diagnose those with symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor was first described in connection to rheumatoid arthritis in 1940. A positive rheumatoid factor test means that the level of rheumatoid factor in the patient’s blood is considered to be high. Doctors measure the level of rheumatoid factor by performing a blood test. The rheumatoid factor is an antibody present in the blood of many patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in 2016 from Medical University of South Carolina, Expert Medical Consultant & EntrepreneurĤ min read RF Test: What is the Normal Range for a Rheumatoid Factor Test? ![]()
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