There is no single blood test that can check forpsoriatic arthritis(PsA), a chronic, inflammatory disease of the joints that can also cause a skin disorder called psoriasis. Your doctor will order a series of blood tests to check for different signs of psoriatic arthritis. This means diagnosis will take more than a single visit.
While you might be tempted to rely on your doctor to monitor your condition through blood tests, you may find it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of what is being tested and why. This way, you’ll know which questions to ask to get the best treatment possible.
FG Trade/ Getty Images
Types of Blood Tests
The specific types of blood tests your doctor will order may vary. Only after reviewing the results of these tests together, along with your symptoms, will your doctor make a diagnosis.
When it comes to inflammatory illnesses like PsA, the tests are typically checking for signs of inflammation in your blood. Doctors call these “biomarkers” of inflammation.
What Are Psoriatic Arthritis Blood Tests?
Other Tests for Psoriatic Arthritis
You will likely also be required to take the following tests for your diagnostic examination to be considered complete:
Why Have an X-Ray or MRI?X-rays and MRIs can show signs or features of psoriatic arthritis. These include:Asymmetric joint involvement, with joint changes on one side, as opposed to symmetrical, or both-sided, joint involvement with rheumatoid arthritisDistal joint involvement, including changes in the joints closest to the nail of the fingers or toesEntheseal involvement, meaning “insertion” in Greek, “entheseal” here refers to any attachment site like a tendon or ligament to a boneAsymmetrical spinal involvement, a curvature to one side of the spine, as opposed to the symmetrical involvement in the autoimmune diseaseankylosing spondylitisPencil-in-cup deformity, when the finger looks like a sharpened pencil and the adjacent bone has been worn down into a cup-like shape
Why Have an X-Ray or MRI?
X-rays and MRIs can show signs or features of psoriatic arthritis. These include:Asymmetric joint involvement, with joint changes on one side, as opposed to symmetrical, or both-sided, joint involvement with rheumatoid arthritisDistal joint involvement, including changes in the joints closest to the nail of the fingers or toesEntheseal involvement, meaning “insertion” in Greek, “entheseal” here refers to any attachment site like a tendon or ligament to a boneAsymmetrical spinal involvement, a curvature to one side of the spine, as opposed to the symmetrical involvement in the autoimmune diseaseankylosing spondylitisPencil-in-cup deformity, when the finger looks like a sharpened pencil and the adjacent bone has been worn down into a cup-like shape
X-rays and MRIs can show signs or features of psoriatic arthritis. These include:
Treatment Procedures
Your primary care doctor will order blood work, sending the lab request to the closest or most convenient clinic covered under your insurance plan. Your doctor may also ask you to get an imaging test.
Your Appointment
On the day of your appointment, you will have a laboratory technician, such as a phlebotomist, nurse, or other trained medical professional, draw blood from your arm. This is the person who will label your vials and either test them on-site or send them to a laboratory for assessment.
If the tests show markers of inflammation and you are experiencing other symptoms of psoriatic arthritis (like psoriasis flare-ups, including itchy, scaly skin, and joint pain), you will be referred to a specialist called a rheumatologist.
What Is a Rheumatologist?Arheumatologistis a specialist in the nonsurgical treatment of autoimmune, inflammatory, or other musculoskeletal conditions commonly referred to as rheumatic diseases.
What Is a Rheumatologist?
Arheumatologistis a specialist in the nonsurgical treatment of autoimmune, inflammatory, or other musculoskeletal conditions commonly referred to as rheumatic diseases.
Your rheumatologist is the best person to:
What Does a Pediatrician Do?
How to Prepare
Getting blood work usually is straightforward, but there are a few steps you can take to make sure the experience goes as smoothly as possible. If you’re allowed to drink water, keep yourself as hydrated as possible prior to the blood draw.
Some of the most common factors to consider before getting blood work include:
What’s Considered Healthy?Your medical provider will go over your labs after results are available. The results should indicate ideal levels of certain inflammatory markers and also what you tested at.Many of the items listed are in shorthand, so ask your doctor to go over your results with you. Because many tests do not definitively confirm you have psoriatic arthritis, additional steps are necessary, including follow-up visits and additional blood work.
What’s Considered Healthy?
Your medical provider will go over your labs after results are available. The results should indicate ideal levels of certain inflammatory markers and also what you tested at.Many of the items listed are in shorthand, so ask your doctor to go over your results with you. Because many tests do not definitively confirm you have psoriatic arthritis, additional steps are necessary, including follow-up visits and additional blood work.
Your medical provider will go over your labs after results are available. The results should indicate ideal levels of certain inflammatory markers and also what you tested at.
Many of the items listed are in shorthand, so ask your doctor to go over your results with you. Because many tests do not definitively confirm you have psoriatic arthritis, additional steps are necessary, including follow-up visits and additional blood work.
A Word From Verywell
If your doctor has suggested blood testing to see if you have psoriatic arthritis, you may be surprised to learn there is no single test for this inflammatory condition. Rather, there are several important tests to check for levels of inflammation and for certain proteins in your blood that may indicate PsA.
Getting blood work, as well as imaging tests, will help your doctor diagnose your condition and find the most effective treatments available.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Brenner DR, Scherer D, Muir K, et al.A review of the application of inflammatory biomarkers in epidemiologic cancer research.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014;23(9):1729-1751. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0064American College of Rheumatology.Antinuclear antibodies.Cleveland Clinic.Sed rate (erythrocyte sedimentation rate).Ingegnoli F, Castelli R, Gualtierotti R.Rheumatoid factors: clinical applications.Dis Markers. 2013 Nov 13;35(6):727-34. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/726598Arthritis Foundation.Psoriatic Arthritis.Tiwari V, Brent LH.Psoriatic arthritis. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Brenner DR, Scherer D, Muir K, et al.A review of the application of inflammatory biomarkers in epidemiologic cancer research.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014;23(9):1729-1751. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0064American College of Rheumatology.Antinuclear antibodies.Cleveland Clinic.Sed rate (erythrocyte sedimentation rate).Ingegnoli F, Castelli R, Gualtierotti R.Rheumatoid factors: clinical applications.Dis Markers. 2013 Nov 13;35(6):727-34. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/726598Arthritis Foundation.Psoriatic Arthritis.Tiwari V, Brent LH.Psoriatic arthritis. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Brenner DR, Scherer D, Muir K, et al.A review of the application of inflammatory biomarkers in epidemiologic cancer research.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014;23(9):1729-1751. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0064American College of Rheumatology.Antinuclear antibodies.Cleveland Clinic.Sed rate (erythrocyte sedimentation rate).Ingegnoli F, Castelli R, Gualtierotti R.Rheumatoid factors: clinical applications.Dis Markers. 2013 Nov 13;35(6):727-34. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/726598Arthritis Foundation.Psoriatic Arthritis.Tiwari V, Brent LH.Psoriatic arthritis. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Brenner DR, Scherer D, Muir K, et al.A review of the application of inflammatory biomarkers in epidemiologic cancer research.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014;23(9):1729-1751. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0064
American College of Rheumatology.Antinuclear antibodies.
Cleveland Clinic.Sed rate (erythrocyte sedimentation rate).
Ingegnoli F, Castelli R, Gualtierotti R.Rheumatoid factors: clinical applications.Dis Markers. 2013 Nov 13;35(6):727-34. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/726598
Arthritis Foundation.Psoriatic Arthritis.
Tiwari V, Brent LH.Psoriatic arthritis. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
