title: Laboratory testing in pediatric rheumatology.
abstract: In children, laboratory evaluations can assist in the screening of patients for inflammatory disorders, confirm diagnoses, allow for monitoring of disease activity and response to therapy, and suggest prognoses and risk of morbidities associated with rheumatic diseases. This review provides an overview of the usefulness and interpretation of both the commonly ordered tests ordered by the general pediatrician as well as those frequently used in the pediatric rheumatology clinic for diagnosis and disease monitoring. Studies discussed include the complete blood count, acute phase reactants, autoantibodies, serum complement, urinalysis, streptococcal antibody tests, and commonly used genetic studies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY 10467, USA. jmehta@montefiore.org
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002648:Child; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016482:Urinalysis
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers