A longitudinal study has identified differences in the clinical manifestations of patients with anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)-positive (n = 30) and ACPA-negative (n =37) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during the pre-RA phase. Initial symptoms involved the lower extremities more often in the ACPA-positive group. At first presentation with arthralgia, ACPA-positive patients had a longer symptom duration, lower number of tender joints and less difficulty making a fist. However, ACPA-positive patients developed arthritis sooner after presenting with arthralgia than ACPA-positive patients.
References
Burgers, L. E. et al. Differences in the symptomatic phase preceding ACPA-positive and ACPA-negative RA: a longitudinal study in arthralgia during progression to clinical arthritis. Ann. Rheum. Dis. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-211325 (2017)
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Ummarino, D. ACPA status influences RA development. Nat Rev Rheumatol 13, 450 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2017.111
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2017.111