5% of RA patients are seronegative | Arthritis Information

 

This is another thing that came up at my RD visit.
He said- we don't even know if you have RA, (thanks doc)
He claims only 5% of all True RA patients are seronegative. From what I've read here an awful lot of us are!
I said well then shouldn't we be looking for what else I might have? I don't think so he says. You have been tested for everything under the sun already in the early stages and your treatment seems to have worked pretty well.
I said yeah- the last time you mentioned this to me I was wondering if I had RA at all and if I really needed to take MTX. Then I had to go off of it for a dental infection and I went into a flare that lasted 9 weeks. I didn't doubt my need for MTX anymore.
Yet still in the back of my brain....he has planted a seed.
I said what about Lyme? He said no- Lyme would not do this.....
most studies show between 20 and 30 % people are seronegative...while I think your rheumatologist may be underestimating with the 5% number I do agree with him that there are people out there being diagnosed with seronegative RA that may have something else.  If I were seronegative, not displaying the traditional RA symptoms and not responding to meds I would be looking for another diagnosis.

My rheumatologist has said the same things. Sometimes he changes his mind between visits, and I feel very confused. But he's involved with an RA research team who are only working with the classic seropositive symmetrical RA that has been newly diagnosed, so I think that as they learn more about cell behavior they are wanting to separate out seronegative RA as a separate disease.

I wonder what they would call it? I can think of a few names, but don't think they'd pass censorship. im seroneg. none of my meds really work and every year they recheck me for lupus. every new doc starts from the beg its very frustratingMy rheumatologist also says that 20% or so of RA patients are seronegative.  She also says that there are also many seropositive patients who started out as seronegative, but converted within a few years of the start of their symptoms and diagnosis.

JRA is considered a different disease from RA and JRA is almost always seronegative

My doctor says that maybe one day they will find a common gene in sero negative RA patients and say AH! This is why.
Buckeye- agreed-I have presented with the traditional RA symptoms. In fact I remember my first doctor spelling them out to me- the symmetrical joint pain, red and warm joints, morning stiffness lasting at least 1 hr. (although I don't have that any more), swelling, high inflammation markers, etc. etc.
My RD says 25% of RA patients are seronegative. The other 75% will test positive at some point. He says people can go from being neg to pos back to neg and vice versa. Also it can take years for someone to test positive. He told me all of this because I am seroneg. and asked him "Are you sure?". So I guess if, like me, you have classic RA symptoms and improve with treatment, you probably have RA. I was seronegative at diagnosis, with an RF of 150 and an anti-CCP of 44.  Twice in three years I have popped up to seropositive, then back down again.  This disease is beyond comprehension.  IDK how the classification works... but having had the disease since age 10 (JRA) and being seronegative from onset through til now..  I'm definitely seronegative.. I've had my doubts about my DX.......  even though I present ALL the qualifiers and my fluid lab testing was positive w/ the disease markers needed...  I still wonder!! I know JRA is considered a diff dx but my doc has switched and is now calling it just plain old seroneg RA. whatever it is ive had it for 13 years...
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