What is seropositive rheumatoid arthritis and how to treat it

Vaccine

induced seropositivity (
VISP
) is the phenomenon in which a person who has received a vaccine against a disease subsequently tests positive or reactive for that disease when tested for it, despite not actually having the disease. This is because many vaccines prompt the body to produce antibodies against a specific disease, and blood tests often determine whether a person has these antibodies, whether they were caused by an infection or simply by vaccination.

VISP is of particular concern in vaccine trials for HIV vaccine research because people who test positive for HIV, even if that result is caused by the vaccine and not the infection, may face discrimination due to HIV infection.

What is seropositive rheumatoid arthritis and differences from seronegative

Seropositive and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis are two types of arthritis that differ from each other by the presence of a rheumatoid “marker” in blood tests.

With seropositive arthritis, the rheumatoid factor indicator will be positive, with seronegative arthritis - negative. Seronegative arthritis is different in that it can affect different joints asymmetrically.

It can often be mistaken for injuries, such as bruises or sprains. Blood tests will not detect antibody markers for arthritis. This clinical picture complicates diagnosis and delays proper treatment.

The symptoms of seronegative arthritis are more pronounced than those of seropositive arthritis. Pain sensations may be stronger, body temperature may rise earlier and more.

Seropositive arthritis affects symmetrical joints, such as those in the hands or feet. When several joints are affected at once, a diagnosis of “seropositive rheumatoid polyarthritis” is made.

With seropositive arthritis in a person, any joints can be affected, in addition to this, other diseases develop. These may be problems with digestion, enlarged lymph nodes, pleurisy of the lungs, diseases of the vascular system (vasculitis), heart disease.

The inflammatory process in the joints leads to immobility, deformation and atrophy. If you do not seek treatment in time, irreversible consequences may occur. The victim may remain disabled and lose his ability to work.

Thus, the differences between seronegative and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis consist in varying degrees of intensity and damage to the body. According to the ICD 10 classification, seronegative arthritis causes minor changes compared to seropositive arthritis. Seropositive affects both joints and internal organs.

References

1. "Clinical trials of HIV vaccines". National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
   . Retrieved February 7, 2014.
2. Van Braeckel, E.; Koutsoukos, M.; Bourguignon, P.; Clement, FDR; McNally, L.; Leroux-Rules, G. (2011). "Vaccine-induced HIV seropositivity: a problem on the rise". Journal of Clinical Virology
   .
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3. Ackers, Martha Louise; Parekh, Bharat; Evans, Thomas G.; Berman, Philip; Phillips, Susan; Allen, Mary (2003). "Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity among uninfected HIV vaccine recipients". Journal of Infectious Diseases
   .
   University of Chicago Press. 187
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4. ↑
   Keller, Daniel M. (July 20, 2010).
   "Antibodies induced by HIV vaccines may cause false-positive HIV testing results". medscape.com
   . Medscape. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
5. Lurie, P.; Bishaw, M.; Chesney, Massachusetts; Cooke, M.; Fernandes, M.E.; Hearst, N.; Katongole-Mbidde, E.; Koetsawang, S.; Lindan, C.P.; Mandel, J. (1994). "Ethical, behavioral and social aspects of HIV vaccine trials in developing countries." JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association
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6. Cooper, C.J.; Metch, B; Dragavon, J; Coombs, R.W.; Baden, L.R. (July 21, 2010). "Vaccine-induced HIV seropositivity/reactivity in uninfected HIV vaccine recipients". Journal of the American Medical Association
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7. “WHO | Hepatitis B". who.int
   . World Health Organization. 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2011. See Table “HBV Serologic Markers in Patients with Hepatitis.”

• Surender Khurana, Needham J, Matheson B, Rodriguez-Chavez IR, Catanzaro AT, Beiler RT, Kim J, Polonis V, Cooper DA, Guerin J, Peterson ML, Gurvit M, Nguyen N, Graham BS, Golding H. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Vaccine trials: a new method for differential diagnosis of HIV infections based on vaccine-generated antibodies. J. Virol. (2006); 80 (5): 2092–99./>

• Surender Khurana, Needham J, Park S, Matheson B, Bush MP, Nemo J, Nyambi P, Zolla-Pazner S, Laal S, Mulenga J, Chomba E, Hunter E, Allen S ., McIntyre J, Hewlett I, Lee S, Tan S, Cowan E, Beyrer K, Altfeld M, Yu XG, Tunkara A, Koita O, Kamali A, Nguyen N, Graham B. S., Todd D., Mugenyi P., Anzala O., Sanders E., Ketter N., Fast P, Golding H. • HIV-SELECTEST, A new approach to the differential diagnosis of HIV infections using vaccine-generated antibodies: Utility to detect different subtypes of HIV-1. JAIDS (2006); 43 (3): 304–12./>

• Surender Khurana, Norris PJ, Bush MP, Haynes BF, Park S, Sasono P, Mlisana K, Salim AK, Hecht FM, Mulenga J. , Chomba E, Hunter E, Allen S, Nemo J, Rodriguez-Chavez IR; Women's Interinstitutional HIV Study Collaborative Study Group, Margolick JB; Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), Golding H. HIV-SELECTEST EIA and rapid test: A utility to detect seroconversion after acute HIV-1 infections. J. Clin. Microb. (2010); 48 (1): 281-85./>

Causes

The causes of arthritis have not yet been established. According to scientists, the pathology is of autoimmune origin. Arthritis manifests itself in the fact that antibodies-immune cells at some point begin to “bomb” the cells of their own body, the cells of the connective tissue of the joints. One of the reasons may be heredity. If this disease occurs in several generations, the predisposition may lie in genes.

Various injuries, from dislocations to fractures, can provoke the onset of arthritis. Even against the background of old injuries, pathology can develop in “weak” areas of the body.

Often arthritis is accompanied by metabolic disorders associated with diseases of the thyroid gland, liver, and age-related changes in hormonal levels.

Poor nutrition and consumption of foods containing carcinogens and other harmful substances causes malfunctions in the body.

Prolonged and intense hypothermia of the body leads to impaired blood supply to the extremities, deterioration of tissue nutrition and early degenerative changes.

Other conditions

VISP is not often a practical concern for other diseases because in most cases good vaccines already exist and most people with access to health care receive them. In addition, doctors do not usually test people for recent infection with most diseases, as they do for HIV. Medical literature on VISP for most diseases is not widely available because there is little practical need for such studies. [ citation needed

]

Symptoms

At first, arthritis does not manifest itself in any way. A person may mistake pain in various parts of the body and joints for fatigue, bruises or overload. Most often, the victim seeks medical help after 2-3 months, when the pain does not go away for a long time.

The main symptoms of the disease are the following:

• pain in the joints,

• fast fatiguability,

• joint weakness
• swelling in the area of ​​the affected joint,
• skin redness,
• stiffness in the joints in the morning, which goes away after physical activity or warm-up,
• increased temperature in the joint area, “hot joints” effect,
• limitation of mobility,
• fever, increased body temperature,
• decreased appetite and body weight,
• excessive sweating.

At the early stage of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, the lesions are minimal, the person is able to move normally and does not lose performance. At the second stage, mobility decreases significantly, the patient loses the ability to self-care and performance. In the third stage, the joints become immobilized and the patient needs help with care.

Diagnostics

It is possible to detect arthritis at an early stage using hematological analysis. If a person suffers from this pathology, the rheumatoid factor indicator will be positive.

1. Diagnosis of arthritis begins with a questioning and complete examination of the patient , including not only the affected joint, but the entire body.
2. A general and biochemical blood test is performed .
3. An x-ray is taken to determine the integrity of the diseased joint.
4. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography provide a detailed analysis of the condition of internal tissues and organs, identifying the presence of infections and lesions.
5. To analyze the synovial fluid, a joint puncture .

A comprehensive examination is often performed to identify the causes of arthritis. For example, an endocrinologist identifies the state of the thyroid gland. A cardiologist diagnoses infectious lesions of the heart.

Hepatitis B

When a person receives the hepatitis B vaccine, the most common test for hepatitis B shows a positive result. The usual course of action in this case is to give the person a battery of tests for HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs (hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis B core and anti-hepatitis B surface). A person who has never been exposed to hepatitis B but has received the vaccine will test positive for anti-HBs but negative for the other two tests in the panel. Other combinations of positive and negative results on this test may mean other things, such as acute, chronic, or past infection. [7]

Treatment

Treatment of arthritis consists of relieving pain, relieving inflammation, lowering body temperature, reducing soft tissue swelling and restoring joint mobility.

A rheumatologist treats arthritis.

The treatment process includes the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), painkillers, antibiotics, chondroprotectors, hormonal therapy and cytostatics. During the period of remission - physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises, manual therapy and massage.

Medicines

Drug therapy is prescribed taking into account the stage of development of the disease. In the early period, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. They relieve pain, lower temperature and relieve joint inflammation.

These drugs are used in the form of tablets, ointments or applications with “Dimexide”.

Since treatment of the disease takes a long time, anti-inflammatory drugs are used only in the acute phase; the rest of the time, basic type drugs are prescribed . They are specially modified for long-term use (“Neoral”, “Revmatrex”).

To prevent the destruction of articular tissues and cartilage, chondroprotectors are used, which stabilize the condition of the cartilage tissue and contribute to its restoration and improvement of nutrition (“Teraflex”, “Arthra”).

Depending on the clinical picture, the patient is prescribed vitamin and mineral complexes, in particular calcium supplements (“Kalcemin”).

To restore joint mobility and in the absence of a positive effect for a long time, intra-articular injections with medications are used.

If conventional therapy does not bring a positive effect, hormonal drugs and immunosuppressants are prescribed.

In case of severe damage to articular tissues, surgical treatment is performed to restore cartilage or bone tissue or replace the joint.

Long-term use of medications negatively affects the condition of internal organs, so therapy should be carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor with control tests.

Physiotherapy

During the period of remission, physiotherapy courses are carried out. Procedures such as laser, ultrasound, phonophoresis and magnetic therapy have proven themselves to be successful.

They promote better penetration of medicinal substances into tissues, improve blood supply and nutrition of cells, relieve inflammation and swelling, reduce pain and eliminate congestion in joints. Unlike drug treatment, physiotherapy has a more gentle effect on the body and has no side effects.

Physiotherapy

Therapeutic gymnastics has a beneficial effect on the condition of the entire body as a whole. For arthritis, exercises are usually simple and short in duration. This is rotation of the limbs, flexion and extension of the body without much physical activity.

Therapeutic exercises have a good effect on the supply of nutrients to the affected area, accelerate blood circulation and improve metabolism. They are prescribed by a physical therapy specialist or orthopedist, taking into account the patient’s capabilities.

All exercises are performed slowly and carefully, without feeling discomfort; if there is any pain, it is better to stop the exercise. During the period of exacerbation, therapeutic exercises are excluded.

You can do the following:

1. While lying down, make circular movements with your legs like a “bicycle.”
2. While standing, swing your legs back and forth, to the sides and away from you, bending your leg at the knee.
3. While sitting, rotate your shoulders, then rotate your arms.
4. Place your hands on the table, spread and close your fingers, then lift your hands without lifting your hands from the table.

Diet

The diet helps strengthen the immune system and make the body strong, capable of resisting adverse environmental factors. Patients with arthritis are advised to avoid eating fatty, sweet, salty, smoked, carcinogen- and nitrate-rich foods.

It is better to include in your diet fresh, minimally heat-treated foods rich in vitamin D and calcium. Foods containing vitamin D include beef, beef liver, eggs, sardines, salmon and cod liver. A nutritionist will help you choose a balanced diet and form the right eating habits.

What is seronegative rheumatoid arthritis?

Treatment with folk remedies

Treatment of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis with folk remedies can only occur in parallel with drug treatment and must be agreed with the attending physician.

Many medicinal herbs used in folk remedies contain biologically active ingredients and may cause allergic reactions or adverse side effects . They should be used with caution.

To reduce pain, the joint is lubricated with turpentine ointment, compresses are made from raw grated potatoes at night, and anti-inflammatory and anti-edema compresses are made from burdock root.

Other recipes:

1. Take chestnut or lilac inflorescences, fill 2/3 of the container with them and fill with vodka, leave for 10 days in a dark place, then use to rub the sore joint.
2. Grate raw potato tubers, heat the mixture to 38 degrees and apply to the sore spot as a compress, preferably overnight.