The Latex agglutination test is commonly used to detect rheumatoid factor (RF) because it is a simple, rapid, and sensitive method where patient serum antibodies cause visible clumping of latex particles coated with human IgG. This test directly identifies RF, an important marker for rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. Although other methods like ELISA detect specific antibodies (e.g., anti-CCP), the latex agglutination test remains widely used for initial RF screening in clinical practice.

Reference: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 20th Edition, Volume 2, Chapter 272, Page 2141