How long does it take until the result is available?
Depending on whether the laboratory value is determined in the hospital laboratory or sent to a special laboratory by a physician in private practice, it may take several days to weeks before the laboratory findings are ready.
What does the determination of the CCP value cost?
After the simple sentence of the fee schedule for physicians the determination of the CCP value costs 26.23 euro. The costs are usually covered by the health insurance company in case of an indication by the physician.
Are there alternative laboratory values?
Besides the CCP value there are other blood values that can be related to a rheumatic disease. These include the so-called rheumatoid factors, the HLA B 27 value, antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anticytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). It may also be useful to determine the general inflammation values. However, these are unspecific and not indicative of a particular disease.
Can the value be negative despite rheumatism?
The CCP value can be negative although rheumatoid arthritis has been clinically diagnosed with certainty. This is the case in 25 % – 40 %. In addition to rheumatoid arthritis, there are other rheumatic diseases where the CCP value is usually negative.
