Was sagt mir der Begriff Rheumafaktor?
Als Rheumafaktor (RF) bezeichnen Mediziner spezielle Antikörper. Ihr Nachweis im Blut deutet auf eine Autoimmunerkrankung wie Rheumatoide Arthritis hin. Allerdings gibt es auch andere Erkrankungen sowie gesunde Menschen, bei denen der Rheumafaktor erhöht sein kann.
Was bedeutet Rheumafaktor erhöht?
Zu hohe Rheumafaktor-Werte können auf eine rheumatoide Arthritis, systemischen Lupus erythematodes sowie weitere rheumatoide Erankungen hindeuten, z.B. Mischkollagenosen, Sklerodermie, Sicca-Syndrom, essentielle oder ein Sjögren-Syndrom.
What does a positive rheumatoid factor test mean?
Doctors measure the level of rheumatoid factor by performing a blood test. A positive rheumatoid factor test means that the level of rheumatoid factor in the patient’s blood is considered to be high.
Can a person with RA have a negative ra factor?
3) A positive RA factor can be seen in many other diseases besides Rheumatoid arthritis. A patient with RA can also have negative RA factor! Positive RA factor can be seen in other diseases like lupus, Sjogren syndrome, vasculitis, etc. Also, RA factor can be negative in 20 % of RA patients!
When is the rheumatoid factor lower than in arthritis?
However, in most non-autoimmune conditions the rheumatoid factor tends to be lower than in rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, when one finds more than one different type of rheumatoid factor particular in the fluid of a joint (e.g., IgM RF and IgA RF), this indicates that we are dealing with rheumatoid arthritis.
Are there any side effects from a rheumatoid factor test?
The rheumatoid factor test is very simple and does not generally pose any risks. You may have little bruising or pain in the area of the puncture site, but it will go away quickly. Complications are very rare, but some people may experience some side effects such as: – Bleeding from the puncture site.