Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints and can lead to serious complications, including joint deformities and long-term disability.

The peculiarity of rheumatoid arthritis is that early diagnosis and timely initiation of treatment can significantly slow down the progression of the disease, as this disease is characterised by the production of specific markers before the manifestation of the clinical picture, and the use of a combination of serological tests can play a significant role in the early diagnosis and treatment of RA patients, especially in the presence of an ambiguous clinical picture.

Investigations included in the Early Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis package:

• Rheumatoid factor IgM;
• Rheumatoid factor IgA;
• Rheumatoid factor IgG;
• Antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (anticyclic citrullinated peptide, anti-CCP);
• C-reactive protein.

Rheumatoid factor IgM - the most important serological indicator of RA, most suitable for screening;

Rheumatoid factor IgA - may be present in patients at preclinical and pre-radiological stages of RA;

Rheumatoid factor IgG is the most specific marker of RA, significantly increasing the specificity of examination of patients with suspected RA;

Anticyclic citrullinated peptide - appears at the very beginning of the disease before clinical manifestations;

C-reactive protein - one of the first to be produced in the body in response to inflammation or cell death. 

When combined with the signs and symptoms of RA, the Early Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis package can play a role in both the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease in patients with an already confirmed diagnosis.