title: Correlation of Demographic and Clinical Characteristics with Rheumatoid Factor Seropositivity in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The rheumatoid factor (RF) blood test is the most commonly adopted test for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA patients who are seropositive for RF might face a greater likelihood of developing more aggressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our goal was to study the demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as their correlation with RF seropositivity, among a series of 80 RA patients aged ≥ 18 years who attend Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 80 RA patients included in this study, 66 (82.5%) were female and 14 (17.5%) were male. No significant associations between RF seropositivity and demographic and/or clinical characteristics or other laboratory investigations were observed, including gender, morning stiffness, individual joint involvement (from multiple sites of the body), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) measurement. However, a significant association between RF seropositivity and patients aged ≥ 50 was found (P= 0.032).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RF seropositivity was found to be more common in much older RA patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Maizatul Akmal
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Othman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wan Syamimee Wan
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Ghazali
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nurul Khaiza
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Yahya
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kah Keng
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Wong
keywords: autoimmune disease; erythrocyte sedimentation rate; rheumatoid arthritis; rheumatoid factor