These are my RF results does anyone know what they mean, also Anti CCP is 0.6 ELISA Units. My test sheets says : Results consistent with Sero Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Thanks
These are my RF results does anyone know what they mean, also Anti CCP is 0.6 ELISA Units. My test sheets says : Results consistent with Sero Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Thanks
For RF factor that is a positive score. (I think anything over 20 is considered positive, can't quite remember the cut off), but it's not sky high as can get well into the 100's. And so you are termed sero-positive. For the anti-CCP, the method they used to measure was the ELISA method, so that's all that that means. And for this method I think anything less than 15 is negative, and you are only considered to be definitely positive over 25. But you don't need both to be positive to have inflammatory arthritis (and you can still have it when both are negative).
The fact that the report says"consistent with RA" just means that it really can't be ruled out at this stage, and neither is it 100% certain. But the rheumy will consider these results alongside your physical examination and symptoms as it's really not possible to draw any firm conclusions on the blood tests alone. So it really doesn't tell you anymore than it is possible that you do have some form of inflammatory disease - sorry. Polly
Thanks Polly, I just keep getting these bits of Info from the doctor but I know until I have seen the consultant and had more tests that I won't know much more just wondered what they meant, thanks for the reply
I was diagnosed with RA because of a rheumatoid factor of 24 and also had a negative anti-CCP. All it means is that its harder or easier for the consultant to diagnose but every consultant should and probably will take clinical signs and symptoms plus inflammatory markers as their guide first and foremost. They do say that the lower your RF or Anti-CCP is the more likely it is that you have a relatively mild form of RA if you are diagnosed. I find this consoling but when I looked it up at the start I also found people who had very aggressive RA with no positive bloodwork at all and ditto for the other way round so there are no hard and fast rules with these inflammatory autoimmune diseases I'm afraid. Tilda x