Autoantibody Assay Developed to Help Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Results of the assay, together with clinical and other laboratory findings, will aid in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis relies on clinical symptoms and laboratory tests, such as rheumatoid factor and C-reactive protein. The newly developed second-generation Elecsys Anti-CCP assay has been shown to meet diagnostic requirements with excellent sensitivity and specificity in a short total test time of 18 minutes and is superior to other laboratory tests. It has been CE approved for use on the Elecsys/cobas e electrochemiluminescence immunoassay systems.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the synovial joints and progressive joint degeneration leading to loss of movement and to deformity over time. Early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is important as early treatment may help to prevent joint damage and subsequent disability.

The fully automated assay is a product of Roche Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) and complements the company's broad immunoassay menu on Elecsys and cobas e platforms, which permit the use of both routine and special assays.

"We believe the Elecsys Anti-CCP plays an important role in the early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and provides an excellent tool for primary care physicians and rheumatologists. The Elecsys Anti-CCP test marks another successful step in our strategy of offering the most comprehensive immunoassay test menu,” said Dirk Ehlers, head of Roche Professional Diagnostics.


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