Early Detection of RA

1. Early Detection of Rheumatoid
Arthritis
By Aditya Kapadia

2. Abstract
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that attacks a patient’s immune system, causing inflammation and
irritation at joints. Currently, methods of diagnosing RA are applied too late for them to be of use to the patient. Developing a method
of detecting and diagnosing RA earlier and faster would allow patients to start preventative treatments earlier and live a more
comfortable life. Through research on databases such as Google Scholar, NCBI, Pubmed, and ProQuest, methods of doing so have been
found. These methods include 99mTc3PRGD2 scintigraphys, and anti-cyclic citrullinated protein (Anti-CCP) antibody tests. These two
tests are effective and could be used in the medical industry to accurately diagnose patients with RA.

3. Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to address abnormalities or markers that we can detect in the human body that point to the existence
of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). RA can be extremely debilitating to patients, and being able to diagnose it accurately earlier than normal
would improve the quality of patients’ lives significantly. They would experience much less pain and discomfort in their own bodies if
they were able to be treated ahead of time. Research indicates that some factors like small amounts of swelling in joints as well as the
presence of CVID in the blood, are some definite elements of Rheumatoid Arthritis, but are not completely accurate. These two factors
could also be used in the identification of similar diseases like Osteoarthritis.

4. Procedure
● Navigate to the database National Center for Biotechnology Information
○ Use keywords such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Early Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Treatment of Rheumatoid
Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapy, and Methods of Diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis
● Navigate to the database Google Scholar
○ Repeat keywords used in previous database to find information
● Navigate to the database ProQuest LLC
○ Repeat keywords used in previous database to find information
● Navigate to the database PubMed
○ Repeat keywords used in previous database to find information

5. Procedure cont.
● Narrow articles and journals found by reading titles of articles
○ Criteria for selecting articles:
■ Must be relevant to diagnosis and detection of RA
■ Must present method of diagnosing RA
■ Presents new information about RA or markers related to it
● Narrow down articles and journals after reading abstracts
○ Criteria for selecting articles:
■ Must be relevant to diagnosis and detection of RA
■ Must present method of diagnosing RA
■ Presents new information about RA or markers related to it

6. Discussion
A new type of test called a 99mTc3PRGD2 scintigraphy has been developed to more accurately diagnose RA. This test detects
RA by imaging synovial neoangiogenesis, which is closely related to rheumatoid arthritis. Synovial neoangiogenesis is the process by
which new blood vessels grow from a pre-existing blood vessel. These new blood vessels can be debilitating to the human body, as they
cause inflammation of synovial tissue. A 99mTc3PRGD2 scintigraphy test directly looks for this synovial neoangiogenesis to prove the
existence of RA in a patient. Several studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of a 99mTc3PRGD2 scintigraphy on
rats.

7. Discussion cont.
One study utilized 140 different rats to determine the validity of a 99mTc3PRGD2 scintigraphy. Rheumatoid arthritis
was simulated in 100 of the rats through a type II collagen immunization. These rats, along with the forty control rats, were observed
every five days for thirty days. Using the 99mTc3PRGD2 scintigraphy, the researchers were able to observe the development of
synovial neoangiogenesis. They were able to relate the presence of synovial neoangiogenesis to the presence of RA through X-rays
completed on the rats every five days. Through the testing of these rats, the researchers concluded that a 99mTc3PRGD2 scintigraphy
was a valid method of diagnosing RA.

8. Conclusion
Rheumatoid arthritis can be detected through the use of an Anti-CCP antibody test, as well as a 99mTc3PRGD2 scintigraphy.
These two tests allow doctors to diagnose patients earlier than they would be able to with X-rays and ultrasounds. Being diagnosed
early lets patients receive treatment that could be life-saving. This treatment could also let a patient’s quality of life improve
significantly.

9. Study Limitations
These studies were adequate to reach a conclusion that can be applied to a much larger group. However, the sample size for this
study could have been larger, to provide even more definitive results.