The importance of testing cytokines: rheumatoid arthritis

It has come to my attention that many doctors remain unfamiliar with the clinical value and importance of testing (blood) cytokines. Cytokines are 'messenger molecules' of the immune system involved in the regulation of inflammation. Knowledge of their levels helps not just with early diagnosis and prognosis, but can profile immune system imbalance allowing functional treatment to be precisely targeted and bad reactions avoided (even Echinacea can push some people's immune system in the wrong direction). There are thousands of studies on clinical conditions for which this is important. Here 's one for rheumatoid arthritis:Up-regulation of cytokines and chemokines predates the onset of rheumatoid arthritisThis study recently published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism (the journal of the American College of Rheumatology) set out to "identify whether cytokines, cytokine-related factors, and chemokines are up-regulated prior to the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)." Their conclusion was in line with findings of other investigators: "Individuals in whom RA later developed had significantly increased levels of several cytokines, cytokine-related factors, and chemokines representing the adaptive immune system (Th1, Th2, and Treg cell-related factors."