Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the joints and connective tissue, causing pain and inflammation.
It can be a very mild disease, or it can be completely crippling and debilitating. Usually it progresses over time.
Up to one third of people who suffer severe rheumatoid arthritis will be unable to work after three years.
Usually in rheumatoid arthritis, there are markers in the blood that show disease activity. If a doctor suspects RA, they will check for RA Factor and Anti-CCP which are autoantibodies that are indicative of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
They are not diagnostic on their own, however. Many people have a positive RA factor but have no signs or symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Conversely, many people have Rheumatoid Arthritis but do not have RA factor in their blood. This is also true for Anti-CCP, which is considered a more specific test.
Up to 30% of patients have completely clear blood work, yet x-rays show conclusively that they have rheumatoid arthritis. This is part of the reason why rheumatoid arthritis is so hard to diagnose early.
These people are referred to as having Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis.
There is a prevailing assumption that seronegative rheumatoid arthritis generally follows a milder course. While this may be true for some, it is certainly not true for all. Some patients with seronegative arthritis still suffer joint damage and destruction that is just as severe as seropositive patients.
