The first blood test to detect rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis may soon be developed, according to a study published March 19 in Scientific Reports. The research findings could potentially lead to patients being tested for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis several years before the onset of physical symptoms.
Lead researcher Dr. Naila Rabbani, Reader of Experimental Systems Biology at the University of Warwick in Coventry United Kingdom, and colleagues have identified a biomarker that is linked to both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. While there are established tests for rheumatoid arthritis, the newly identified biomarker could lead to one that can diagnose rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Dr. Naila Rabbani
Initially, the research's focus was on citrullinated proteins, a biomarker suspected to be present in the blood of patients with early stage rheumatoid arthritis. It had previously been established that patients with rheumatoid arthritis have citrullinated protein antibodies, but it was not believed that the same held true for people with osteoarthritis. However, investigators found that there was an increase in citrullinated protein levels in both early-stage osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Study authors then produced an algorithm of 3 biomarkers, plasma/serum citrullinated protein, 4-hydroxyproline, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide. Based on this algorithm, the researchers found that with a single test they could potentially detect and discriminate between the major types of arthritis at the early stages, before joint damage has occurred.
“Detection of early stage osteoarthritis made the study very promising and we would have been satisfied with this only, but beyond this we also found we could detect and discriminate early-stage rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory joint diseases at the same,” said Dr. Rabbani.
“This discovery raises the potential of a blood test that can help diagnose both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis several years before the onset of physical symptoms,” Dr. Rabbani stated.