# Rheumatid Factor?



## Twin1 (Mar 21, 2010)

Looking over my labs ( of course, why the heck am I awake?!) and I wonder if anyone knows what the rheumatoid factor number means: 9.2 range (.0-13.9) I have a wrist and two fingers (bilateral) that sit at an almost 15 degree angle and two more, also bilateral, that seems to be headed that way. ( but it's all in my head, of course) and the doctors keep acting like it's no big deal. I probably need to add osteopath and rheumatologist to my growing list of doctors but it just seems pointless. Anyone familiar with these numbers and what they mean?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Twin1 said:


> Looking over my labs ( of course, why the heck am I awake?!) and I wonder if anyone knows what the rheumatoid factor number means: 9.2 range (.0-13.9) I have a wrist and two fingers (bilateral) that sit at an almost 15 degree angle and two more, also bilateral, that seems to be headed that way. ( but it's all in my head, of course) and the doctors keep acting like it's no big deal. I probably need to add osteopath and rheumatologist to my growing list of doctors but it just seems pointless. Anyone familiar with these numbers and what they mean?


Based on this copy and paste below, I would say more testing needs to be done because RhF can be "suggestive" of a myriad of autoimmune diseases.

Interpretation
High levels of rheumatoid factor (generally above 20 IU/mL, 1:40 or over the 95th percentile there is some variation among labs) are indicative of rheumatoid arthritis (present in 80%) and Sjögren's syndrome (present in almost 100%).[2] The higher the levels of RF the higher the possibility of a more destructive articular disease.[citation needed]

In patients on etanercept or infliximab and DMARDs the levels of rheumatoid factor reduces, which is associated with reduced clinical disease activity.[2]

Rheumatoid factor may also be elevated in: chronic hepatitis, any chronic viral infection, leukemia, dermatomyositis, infectious mononucleosis, systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Reference.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheumatoid_factor

Other things have to be ruled in or out such as Lupus which does attack the joints. The treatment modality differs depending on why the patient has RhF.

Hope this is helpful.


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## Twin1 (Mar 21, 2010)

Thanks Andros! I just don't understand why the doctors aren't more concerned. I feel sure I am heading towards permanent joint damage, if I don't have it already.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Twin1 said:


> Thanks Andros! I just don't understand why the doctors aren't more concerned. I feel sure I am heading towards permanent joint damage, if I don't have it already.


For the same reason our society is suffering from wide spread apathy. No one gives a flying twit about others.

You will have to address this yourself and demand that the doctor run Anti-DNA, C3 and C4 to rule out lupus and some of the other things listed. There are specific tests for most of them and the ones that don't have specific tests require "experienced" clinical evaluation.

Example would be Sjogren's; the Schimrmer eye test, salivary gland biopsy and obvious physical signs.


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