Autoimmune Diseases On The Spotlight with Dr Rukarwa(Part 2)

Rheumatologist, Dr Rutendo Rukarwa of RheumaMed Clinic, continues discussion on all things autoimmune diseases, a group of disorders in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and damages its own tissues.

What diagnostic tests do you commonly use to confirm autoimmune diseases?

Depending on the autoimmune disease that the patient presents with there are a variety of tests that can be done to confirm or help support the diagnosis of these conditions. These vary from blood tests, where commonly what are called autoantibody tests are done that are usually but not always positive in patients with these conditions, to urine test, Lumbar punctures , biopsies and various imaging modalities ranging for x-rays , Ct scan, MRI scans and nuclear medicine scans. There are also some specific tests that check for various organ involvement, so basic ones like liver or renal function, a full blood count, as well as inflammatory markers can be useful. In the end these tests do not substitute the importance of having a clinician who is able to take a good history from the patient as well as do a thorough physical examination , and then coming up with a conclusion based on the tests done and the examination as to a likely diagnosis. As Rheumatologists we also use what are called classification criteria for various disease to help also confirm the likelihood of a patient having the autoimmune disease, for example in Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

What are the current treatment options available for autoimmune diseases locally?

The treatment options vary extensively depending on exactly which autoimmune disease the patient has been diagnosed with. So the mainstay treatment for most of these includes the use of systemic steroids which mostly work by dampening the immune system that is causing the diseases in the first place. Once these have been started then there is need to use other drugs called steroid sparing agents that allow one to stop