Amino acid: One of the 20 building blocks of protein . The sequence of amino acids in a protein and, hence, the function of that protein are determined by the genetic code in the DNA .
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Anti-CCP: See: Citrulline antibody.
Anti-citrulline antibody: See: Citrulline antibody.
Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody: See: Citrulline antibody.
Antibody: An immunoglobulin, a specialized immune protein , produced because of the introduction of an antigen into the body, and which possesses the remarkable ability to combine with the very antigen that triggered its production.
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Arginine: An amino acid , one of the 20 amino acids that serve as the building blocks in protein . Arginine is not an "essential" amino acid. It is not essential to the diet, but can be made by the body from other substances. However, it is usually considered essential to the diet for children so they can grow normally. Lack of arginine in the diet impairs growth and in adult males it decreases the sperm count.
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Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, warmth, swelling, redness and pain. There are over 100 types of arthritis. (see osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, gout, pseudogout).
Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.
Citrulline: A non-standard amino acid that is not normally present in protein . Citrulline is created in the body as an intermediate in the conversion of the amino acid ornithine to arginine in a metabolic pathway called the urea cycle.
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Citrulline antibody: An antibody (an immune protein) directed against a circular peptide (a ring of amino acids) containing an unusual ("non-standard") amino acid called citrulline that is not normally present in peptides or proteins. (Citrulline is formed by the body as an intermediary in the conversion of the amino acid orthithine to arginine ). The citrulline antibody provides the basis for a test of importance in rheumatoid arthritis .
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Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease ; the identification of an illness. 2 A conclusion or decision reached by diagnosis. The diagnosis is rabies . 3 The identification of any problem. The diagnosis was a plugged IV.
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Immune: Protected against infection. The Latin immunis means free, exempt.
Inflammation: A basic way in which the body reacts to infection , irritation or other injury, the key feature being redness, warmth, swelling and pain . Inflammation is now recognized as a type of nonspecific immune response .
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Joint: A joint is the area where two bones are attached for the purpose of motion of body parts. A joint is usually formed of fibrous connective tissue and cartilage. An articulation or an arthrosis is the same as a joint.
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Peptide: A molecule consisting of 2 or more amino acids. Peptides are smaller than proteins, which are also chains of amino acids. Molecules small enough to be synthesized from the constituent amino acids are, by convention, called peptides rather than proteins. The dividing line is at about 50 amino acids. Depending on the number of amino acids, peptides are called dipeptides, tripeptides, tetrapeptides, and so on.
Protein: A large molecule composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific order determined by the base sequence of nucleotides in the DNA coding for the protein.
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Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific order determined by the base sequence of nucleotides in the DNA coding for the protein.
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Rheumatoid arthritis : An autoimmune disease which causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body tissues are mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. The immune system is a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to "seek and destroy" invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with these diseases have antibodies in their blood which target their own body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease. While rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness (meaning it can last for years) patients may experience long periods without symptoms.
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Rheumatoid factor: Rheumatoid factor is an antibody that is measurable in the blood. It is commonly used as a blood test for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor is present in about 80% of adults (but a much lower proportion of children) with rheumatoid arthritis. It is also present in patients with other connective tissue diseases (such as systemic lupus erythematosus) and in some with infectious diseases (such as infectious hepatitis).
- Rheumatoid Factor - Read about the rheumatoid factor (RF) blood test used for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and sarcoidosis. Elevated results, or high levels, indicate severe disease.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis - Learn more about rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint inflammation, which has symptoms that include stiffness, fever, muscle and joint aches, loss of appetite, and fatigue. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis incorporates the use of first-line drugs (aspirin and corticosteroids for pain and inflammation) and second-line drugs (methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine to prevent joint destruction and promote remission).
- Arthritis - Arthritis symptoms include pain, joint inflammation and swelling. Get the facts on arthritis types, causes, research information, statistics and diagnosis.
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