I am 44 years old suffering from R.A .My RA is 18. 8 and esr, uric acid is normal, anti ccp test is sero negative. I suffered from thyroid but due to homeopathic treatment it is coming normal. have psoriasis on foot. Please let me know whether lam suffering from auto immune diseases. Are there any blood tests to confirm the diagnosis of auto immunity disorder. Please suggest which doctor should I consult a rheumatologist or immunologist.

Dr. Nilesh NolkhaRheumatologist6yrs exp

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Hi, Ms. lybrate-user, I am not sure who made a diagnosis of RA in you. RA levels are very borderline in your case and they are not high enough to make a diagnosis of RA. But having said that many Ra patients have negative tests too. You have psoriasis. The arthritis associated with psoriasis is called psoriatic arthritis. It usually is diagnosed clinically, by history and patient examination and test alone is not sufficient. Also, understand that psoriasis of the skin is itself an autoimmune condition. It doesn't require any test, we can diagnose it by just looking at the skin. Rheumatology deals with autoimmune disorders. Unfortunately, most autoimmune disorders are complex, there is not a single blood test. Many immune blood results (like RA test) can be positive in normal patients. A diagnosis can only be made with proper, history and examination along with relevant blood results. I get many patients in my OPD with positive blood results of autoimmunity, but they don't have the disease. So I hope you understood why a specialist should see you before you do or interpret any results. Since rheumatology deals with autoimmune disorders mostly, Rheumatologist and clinical immunologists are one and same in India. We mostly use the word rheumatologists rather than immunologists in India. If you have trouble finding rheumatologist in your area do let me know Regards Best wishes.  

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