Biomarker Testing - Vectra® DA

On 16 Sep 15, my Rheumatologist decided it was time to order a blood test to look at the activity of my RD, not just my inflammation rates, because it seems my pain has been increasing, despite my medications. 

The test she ordered is a biomarker test named Vectra® DA. According to the website, the test measures 12 biomarkers of RD, and it is a tool to help the rheumatologist understand how active the disease is in a patient. It looks INSIDE the body, rather than relying on the physical assessment the doctor performs. BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina published an information paper describing the procedure, to include the list of 12 markers:

• Interleukin-6
• Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Type I
• Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule I
• YKL-40
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 1
• Matrix Metalloproteinase 3
• C-reactive Protein
• Serum Amyloid A
• Leptin
• Resistin

When the test is concluded, the biomarker results are totaled and scored between 1 and 100. Vectra® explains the results in more detail, however the number is broken into three categories - 1-29 (low), 30-44 (moderate), 45-100 (high). This page also offers a link to their mobile application that will help the patient track their RD on a daily basis. It has various symptoms that can be tracked, and I highly recommend it.