Up to 16 years before symptoms appear, rheumatoid arthritis can be detected in the blood by a protein broken down by inflammation.
A new blood test is talking about him. This time, there is no question of detecting cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at the University of Oxford, who developed it, are able to spot the signs of rheumatoid arthritis several years before the first symptoms. The results are 98% accurate, they add in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.
The work involved more than 2,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Their blood samples made it possible to develop a specific blood test for one of the markers of the immune response: the citrullinated protein tenascin-C. In the event of inflammation, this protein undergoes a process of alteration capable of provoking an immune response of the organism against itself.
However, these proteins are found long before the appearance of the first symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. “We looked at samples taken before arthritis even started, and we were able to observe these antibodies for up to 16 years before it occurred,” enthuses Professor Kim Midwood. On average, the antibodies were discovered 7 years before the onset of the disease. “
In 50 to 70% of cases, rheumatoid arthritis could be detected. This is much better than the other tests available today. This new method is also accompanied by few false positive results: its accuracy rate is 98%. According to researchers, early diagnosis is the key to effective treatment, when symptoms are not too debilitating.
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