Synovial tissue is readily accessible by closed needle or arthroscopic biopsy. These techniques provide adequate tissue for most diagnostic requirements. Examination of synovial tissue can assist in the diagnosis of some joint infections, and in several atypical or rare synovial disorders. Histological confirmation is not normally required for diagnosis of the common forms of inflammatory arthr...

INTRODUCTION An ACR/EULAR task force released new criteria to classify rheumatoid arthritis at an early stage. This study evaluates the diagnostic performance of these criteria and algorithms by van der Helm and Visser in REACH. METHODS Patients with symptoms ≤12 months from REACH were used. Algorithms were tested on discrimination, calibration and diagnostic accuracy of proposed cut-points. ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the specificity and sensitivity of autoantibodies binding to citrullinated carboxyterminal telopeptides of types I and II collagens in an early arthritis series. METHODS A cohort of 146 patients from the Kuopio 2000 Arthritis Survey having RA, AS, PsA, ReA, uSpA or undifferentiated arthritis were studied. Autoantibodies binding citrullinated types I and II carboxytelopepti...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic synovial joint inflammation, destruction of articular cartilage and erosion of subchondral bone. Major advances have been made in the medical management of RA with the introduction of various types of biologic drugs which neutralize the activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as T-cell and B-cell proliferation. ...

We assessed the contribution of four baseline markers-HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE), -308 tumor necrosis factor α gene promoter polymorphism, rheumatoid factor, and anticitrullinated peptide antibodies-for predicting persistent activity (DAS28 score ≥2.6) after one year of followup in a cohort of 201 patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or undifferentiated arthritis (UA) aged 16 ...

INTRODUCTION Bacteria and/or their antigens have been implicated in the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis (ReA). Several studies have reported the presence of bacterial antigens and nucleic acids of bacteria other than those specified by diagnostic criteria for ReA in joint specimens from patients with ReA and various arthritides. The present study was conducted to detect any bacterial DNA and...

Spondyloarthritis Spondyloarthritis comprises a group of inflammatory rheumatic diseases that share a common genetic predisposition but distinctive clinical features that primarily affect the spine, sacroiliac joints and ligaments. Extra-articular manifestations in organs such as the intestines, urinary tract, heart, eyes and skin are also frequently observed. The conditions grouped within the ...

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to investigate patient reported outcomes (PROs) of functional ability and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with early (rheumatoid) arthritis during one year of remission steered treatment. METHODS In this study, 610 patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or undifferentiated arthritis (UA) were treated with methotrexate (MTX) and ...

OBJECTIVE Serum samples taken before the onset of RA suggest that one of the first features of RA is BMD loss. We determined the ability of radiographic BMD loss to predict RA development and arthritis persistency in patients with early undifferentiated arthritis (UA). METHODS Five hundred and seventeen patients with early UA, included in the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic, were assessed. Of t...