A blood test to detect various antibodies and factors indicative of such conditions as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, and chronic infections.
Also known as the latex agglutination test, this method tests body fluids like blood, urine, and saliva to identify specific infections. Small latex beads are coated with antibodies (immune system proteins) targeting a specific infectious agent. When these beads are introduced to a body fluid sample, they will clump together if the targeted organism is present.