A blood test could help doctors establish at an early stage what kind of arthritis a patient is developing, it has been announced.
Researchers at Warwick University Medical School say their test will distinguish between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
They say its discovery was "unexpected."
It could lead to improved treatments to prevent damage to the joints.
The test has emerged from a study of citrullinated proteins, which were known to be a factor in rheumatoid arthritis but had not previously been found in osteoarthritis.
The researchers found these proteins in osteoarthritis and were then able to create an algorithm involving the proteins, antibodies to the proteins and another chemical hydroxyproline.
They have reported their findings in Nature Scientific Reports.
Researcher Dr Naila Rabbanni said: “This is a remarkable and unexpected finding. It could help bring early-stage and appropriate treatment for arthritis which gives the best chance of effective treatment."
“This discovery raises the potential of a blood test that can help diagnose both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis several years before the onset of physical symptoms."
Biomarkers of early stage osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and musculoskeletal health. Nature Scientific Reports 20 March 2015
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