Usefulness of the determination of antibodies in the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases

Introduction: rheumatic diseases are considered one of the main causes of disability and decrease in the perception of quality of life related to health. The joint and systemic damage they cause leads to a progressive and chronic deterioration of the human body, which is why it is necessary to have diagnostic tools that facilitate clinical suspicion and the definitive diagnosis of the disease. Objective: describe the benefits of the determination of circulating antibodies in the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases. Methodology: a search was carried out in different websites to identify articles related to the topic of study and that could be published in the last five years. Results: a total of 129 articles were found, which were reviewed to determine the role of immunological markers in the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases. The journals that contributed the most articles were the Cuban Journal of Rheumatology (28.76%), the Colombian Journal of Rheumatology and the Clinical Rheumatology journal (22.37%). The search was carried out in sites such as Scopus, Latindex, Redalyc, ICE Web of Science and Lilacs. Conclusions: the immunological markers represent a considerable help for the health professionals in their desire to make the opportune and early diagnosis of the rheumatic diseases. Together with clinical manifestations and other laboratory findings, they are the cornerstones of the diagnosis of these conditions.