RESEARCH - Cytokines and related factors in the blood may predict RA

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Blood Test May Predict Rheumatoid Arthritis

Proteins in Blood May Signal RA Years Before Symptoms Develop

By Warner

WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Jan. 28, 2010 - Elevated levels of inflammatory proteins called

cytokines and related factors in the blood may be an early warning

sign of impending rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a new study.

Researchers have found that levels of certain cytokines and related

factors in the blood increase significantly prior to the development

of rheumatoid arthritis, long before symptoms emerge. They say the

finding paves the way for developing a blood test for early diagnosis

of the mysterious disease.

" Our findings present an opportunity for better predicting the risk of

developing RA and possibly preventing disease progression, " says

researcher Solbritt Rantapää-Dahlqvist, MD, of University Hospital in

Umea, Sweden, in a news release.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20100128/blood-test-may-predict-r\

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