“An erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR or sed rate)
measures how fast red blood cells (erythrocytes) fall
to the bottom of a fine glass tube that is filled with
the patient's blood. The higher the sed rate the
greater the inflammation. Because the sed rate can
be high in many conditions ranging from infection to
inflammation to tumors, the ESR test is used not for
diagnosis but to help determine how active the
condition is.” (University of Maryland Medical
Center). Continuing on to C – reactive protein
—“High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are also
indicators of active inflammation. Like the ESR, a
high result does not indicate what part of the body is
inflamed, or what is causing the inflammation.” I
will further continue on finishing my divergent path
with Anti-CCP Antibody and Tests for Anemia. “The
presence of antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides
(CCP) can identify RA years before symptoms
develop. In combination with the test for rheumatoid
factor, the CCP antibody test is the best predictor of
which patients will go on to develop severe RA.
Anemia is a common complication. Blood tests
determine the amount of red blood cells
(hemoglobin and hematocrit) and iron (soluble
transferrin receptor and serum ferritin) in the blood.”
Now I will resume with the study of microscopes as
a diagnostic device for RA.
The Biological Microscope.
adjust it to capture more light and alter the
brightness of the image you see.
4. The light rays pass through a hole in an
adjustable horizontal platform called the
stage.
5. The stage moves up and down when you turn
a thumb wheel on the side of the microscope.
By raising and lowering the stage, you move
the lenses closer to or further away from the
object you're examining, adjusting the focus
of the image you see.
6. To look at something under a microscope
(such as a plant leaf), you prepare a specimen
of it. The specimen has to be a very thin slice
so light rays will pass through.
7. You mount the specimen on a glass slide with
a glass cover slip on top to keep it in place.
8. The slide is held in place by two metal clips,
one on either side.
9. Light traveling up from the mirror passes
through the glass slide, specimen, and cover
slip to the objective lens (the one closest to
the object). This makes the first
magnification: it works by spreading out
light rays from the specimen so they appear
to come from a bigger object. The objective
"lens" usually consists of more than one lens.
The biological microscope is a high-power,
compound-light microscope used to see bacteria,
parasites, small organisms, but in our case blood
cells and antibodies. The measurand for diagnosing
RA is the blood on the viewing slide (sample or
specimen). “Light passing through the condenser is
organized into a cone of illumination that emanates
onto the specimen and is then transmitted into the
objective front lens element as a reversed cone.”
10. A selection of other objective lenses can be
used to magnify the specimen by more or
less.
1. The microscope rests securely on a stand on
a table.
13. On some microscopes, you can move the
eyepiece up and down by turning a wheel.
This gives you fine control or "fine tuning"
of the focus.
2. Daylight from the room (or from a bright
lamp) shines in at the bottom.
3. The light rays hit an angled mirror and
change direction, traveling straight up toward
the specimen. The mirror pivots. You can
11. The thumb wheel makes it easy to swing the
other lenses into position.
12. The eyepiece lens (the one closest to your
eye) magnifies the image from the objective
lens, rather like a magnifying glass.
14. You look down on a magnified image of the
object.