[Immunological and serological tests useful for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis]

There are four areas of laboratory medicine engaged in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. They are serological tests for diagnosis of infection, tests for autoantibodies, analysis of serum proteins and lymphocyte function tests, including surface markers. In these areas except for diagnosis of infection, marked development has been achieved in the recent ten years. Enumerating roughly, I like to point out quantitative tests of rheumatoid factor, precise examinations for antinuclear antibodies, recent method for electrophoresis of serum protein and monoclonal antibodies for lymphocyte surface markers. Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis has became more precise and reliable by using these laboratory tests. In addition, effective tools are available to approach pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis through management of RA patients. An outline of these recent laboratory tests, useful for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is presented.