9 research outputs found
Can an increase in autoantibody levels predict arthritis in arthralgia patients?
Retrospective studies have shown that anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) and IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) often precede symptom onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by many years, and the closer the individual comes to clinical arthritis the more positivity for either one or the combination is found, together with increasing levels(1, 2). To our knowledge no individual prediction models using autoantibody levels over time have been developed yet. In a prospective study we investigated whether change of ACPA and RF levels over time within individuals improves prediction of future arthritis in seropositive arthralgia patients
Preventing progression from arthralgia to arthritis: targeting the right patients
Pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatic disease