Arthritis Profile

A Serum Calcium test measures the levels of calcium in the body. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, and the majority of it is present in the bones and teeth, and the remaining portion (around 1%) is found in the blood. It is normally present in two forms in blood in about equal amounts, namely "bound calcium", which is attached to proteins in the blood, and "free calcium or ionized calcium", which is not attached to any protein. 

A Serum Calcium test cannot be used to check for a lack of calcium in your diet or osteoporosis (loss of calcium from bones) as the body can have normal calcium levels even in case of dietary deficiency of calcium. Moreover, the body can normalize mild calcium deficiency by releasing the calcium stored in bones.

A CRP test measures the levels of CRP protein in your body. This test helps detect the presence of inflammation in the body. It is a non-specific test as it cannot diagnose a condition by itself or determine its exact location or cause. 

CRP is an acute phase reactant protein that is produced by the liver in response to an inflammation in the body. This inflammation may be due to tissue injury, infection, autoimmune diseases, or cancer. CRP levels are often increased before the onset of other symptoms of inflammation such as pain, redness, fever, or swelling. These levels fall as the inflammation subsides.

A Rheumatoid Factor - Quantitative test detects and measures rheumatoid factor (RF), a specific type of autoantibody (protein produced by the immune system in response to a foreign substance), in your blood. We all have antibodies which are also known as immunoglobulins in the blood. These antibodies are protective proteins that help to fight infection. However, autoantibodies may attack your own tissues mistakenly identifying them as “foreign substances”.   

An RF test is sensitive but not very specific as rheumatoid factor can also be found in the body in diseases other than RA and Sjögren’s syndrome. This autoantibody is also produced in the body during some persistent bacterial and viral infections.