A positive result for RNP antibodies is consistent with a connective tissue disease. Although strongly associated with connective tissue diseases, RNP antibodies are not considered a "marker" for any particular disease except in the following situation: when found in isolation (ie, dsDNA antibodies and Sm antibodies are not detectable), a positive result for RNP antibodies is consistent with the diagnosis of mixed connective tissue disease. Connective tissue diseases are actually a group of medical diseases. A connective tissue disease is any disease that has the connective tissues of the body as a primary target of pathology. The connective tissues are the structural portions of our body that essentially hold the cells of the body together.
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A positive result for RNP antibodies is consistent with a connective tissue disease. Although strongly associated with connective tissue diseases, RNP antibodies are not considered a "marker" for any particular disease except in the following situation: when found in isolation (ie, dsDNA antibodies and Sm antibodies are not detectable), a positive result for RNP antibodies is consistent with the diagnosis of mixed connective tissue disease.
What is Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)?
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) has signs and symptoms of a combination of disorders — primarily lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis. Many people with this uncommon disease also have Sjogren's syndrome. For this reason, mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is sometimes called an overlap disease.
What are symptoms of mixed connective tissue disease?
In mixed connective tissue disease, the symptoms of the separate diseases usually don't appear all at once. Instead, they tend to occur over a number of years, which can complicate diagnosis.
Early signs and symptoms often involve the hands. Fingers might get puffy, and the fingertips become white and numb, often in response to cold exposure. In later stages, some organs — such as the lungs, heart and kidneys — can be affected.
There's no cure for mixed connective tissue disease. Treatment depends on how severe the disease is and the organs involved.
Early indications of mixed connective tissue disease can include:
→ General feeling of being unwell. This can include increased fatigue and a mild fever.
→ Cold and numb fingers or toes (Raynaud's phenomenon). In response to cold or stress, your fingers or toes might turn white and then purplish blue. After warming, the fingers or toes turn red.
→ Swollen fingers or hands. Some people have swelling of the fingers.
→ Muscle and joint pain. Joints can become inflamed, swollen and deformed, similar to what occurs with rheumatoid arthritis.
→ Rash. Red or reddish brown patches can appear over the knuckles.
What are causes of mixed connective tissue disease?
Mixed connective tissue disease is an autoimmune disorder, although the cause isn't known. In autoimmune disorders, your immune system — responsible for fighting off disease — mistakenly attacks healthy cells.
In connective tissue diseases, your immune system attacks the fibers that provide the framework and support for your body. Some people with mixed connective tissue disease have a family history of the condition. But the role of genetics in the disease remains unclear.
What are potential complications of mixed connective tissue disease?
Mixed connective tissue disease can lead to serious complications, some of which can be fatal. Complications include:
→ High blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension). This condition is a major cause of death in people with mixed connective tissue disease.
→ Interstitial lung disease. This large group of disorders can cause scarring in your lungs, which affects your ability to breathe.
→ Heart disease. Parts of the heart can enlarge, or inflammation can occur around the heart. Heart failure can occur.
→ Kidney damage. About one-fourth of people with mixed connective tissue disease develop kidney problems, Kidney involvement is usually mild, but can lead to kidney failure.
→ Digestive tract damage. Commonly, mixed connective tissue disease affects the digestive tract. You might have abdominal pain and problems with swallowing and digesting food.
→ Anemia. About 75% of people with mixed connective tissue disease have iron deficiency anemia.
→ Tissue death. People with severe Raynaud's disease can develop gangrene in the fingers.
→ Hearing loss. In one small study, hearing loss was reported in almost half the patients with mixed connective tissuedisease. More research is needed to understand this association.
→ Nerve damage. Sjogren syndrome can affect the nerve that carries feeling from your face to your brain (trigeminal nerve). If you have trigeminal neuralgia, even mild stimulation of your face — such as from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup — can trigger a jolt of severe pain.
What are potential treatment options for mixed connective tissue disease?
The treatment options for Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) focus on managing symptoms and preventing complications. Here is a summary of potential treatments:
→ Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): These can relieve pain and reduce inflammation in joints and muscles.
→ Corticosteroids: Medications like prednisone can help reduce inflammation, manage acute flare-ups, and control severe symptoms.
→ Antimalarial Drugs: Hydroxychloroquine, commonly used for lupus, can help with skin and joint symptoms.
→ Immunosuppressants: Drugs like methotrexate, azathioprine, or mycophenolate mofetil may be used to suppress the immune system to reduce the activity of the disease.
→ Biologics: These are newer medications that specifically target the immune response, such as TNF inhibitors or rituximab.
→ Physical Therapy: To improve muscle strength and joint function.
→ Vasodilators: For symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon, medications that dilate blood vessels can help.
→ Lifestyle Modifications: Such as protecting hands and feet from cold, stress reduction techniques, and smoking cessation.
The choice of treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms and the organs involved. It's important for individuals with MCTD to be monitored regularly by a rheumatologist and to adjust their treatment plan as needed over time.
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Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Healthmatters is a highly-personalized health dashboard.
Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.
With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.
For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.
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Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewExplore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
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