Understanding Rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is it?

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease that causes pain, swelling or stiffness of the joints in the body. The cause of the disease is unknown, but it is known to involve over activity of the immune system (autoimmune disease). In some cases, the disease may also involve non-joint organs - the heart, lungs or eyes. People who have RA are positive for antibodies such as rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCPs). Being seronegative for RA is when these antibodies are not found in the blood.

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Additional names

This group contains additional names:
- Seronegative Rheumatoid arthritis

Signs & symptoms

The main joints that are affected by rheumatoid arthritis are the wrists and the joints of the fingers. It may also affect the shoulders and knees. The symptoms usually appear symmetrically and in several joints at the same time. Other symptoms can include weight loss, fever, weakness or fatigue.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is mainly based on physical examination and blood tests. Seronegative RA can only be diagnosed base on symptoms and imaging tests of the joints.

Treatment

Your doctor will usually offer treatment at an early stage in order to prevent long-term damage. Treatment options include:
- Adjusting lifestyle - Adherence to physical activity to activate the joints, maintaining a balanced weight and avoiding smoking.
- Medication - There are many drugs used to treat the disease (for example - anti-inflammatory drugs, biological drugs, steroids), and the choice of the appropriate drug is made depending on the nature and severity of the disease.
- Medical follow-up - it is necessary to regularly monitor the response to treatment, and to undergo routine testing of non-articular organs, such as the heart, to rule out their involvement in the disease.

☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.

Learn more about our editorial process for content accuracy.

Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:

National Institution of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ University of Illinois hospital