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Neuberg Diagnostics has noted an increase in autoimmune conditions and rheumatology diseases reported in Bengaluru and Tier-2- Tier-3 regions in Karnataka. Early symptoms like joint pain, fatigue, stiffness are frequently managed symptomatically, leading to progression of disease. By the time patients reach tertiary centres in Bengaluru, many already experience severe mobility challenges or organ involvement, making treatment more complex.
The month of April is observed as Rheumatology Awareness Month. It highlights the rise in the prevalence of autoimmune diseases and the need for early diagnosis. Autoimmune diseases are characterized by an immune response against one’s bodily organs. The disease may affect the joints, skin, kidney, lungs, eyes, and hormone levels.
“Limited awareness, delayed referrals, and lack of access to specialised rheumatology care and diagnostic facilities often result in patients presenting at advanced stages, sometimes with severe joint damage or systemic involvement. We regularly diagnose conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis but we are also reaching out to the rarer ones such as myositis. Moreover, we are noticing that autoimmune diseases are occurring in children as young as 10 years. The most common among them is juvenile idiopathic arthritis where prolonged joint stiffness, swelling, and fatigue not only limit the child's physical activities but also affect the child's school attendance “, said Dr. Vijay KR Rao, medical director and consultant rheumatologist, Divisha Arthritis and Medical Centre Bangalore.
Another key challenge with autoimmune diseases is the significant overlap in symptoms, which often makes diagnosis complex and time-consuming. This is why it is essential to carry out specific laboratory tests in close consultation with a clinician to arrive at an accurate diagnosis, he added.
Targeted testing plays a critical role in rheumatology, both in confirming clinical suspicions and in differentiating between conditions that present with similar features. Tests such as rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP antibodies, ANA by immunofluorescence, ANA profile, HLA-B27, etc are invaluable in guiding accurate diagnosis and enabling timely initiation of treatment.
In cases where the screening test is positive, a confirmatory test called ANA profile (line immunoassay) is performed to identify specific antibodies, allowing for a more precise diagnosis. Ultimately, the relevance of any laboratory result depends on how well it correlates with the patient’s symptoms and overall clinical assessment”, said Dr Swathi Kulkarni, consultant pathologist and head, department of immunopathology, Neuberg Anand Reference Laboratory, Bengaluru.
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