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New criteria may help identify RA in at-risk individuals before clinical diagnosis
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Investigators who tested the ease of using the new rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria to identify people with the condition before they are diagnosed found that 21 individuals among the 1,790 assessed in their study had “definite” rheumatoid arthritis.
The 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) classification criteria used in the study were developed, in part, to aid early diagnosis of the disease, according to the study abstract.
Jason R. Kolfenbach, MD, a lead investigator for the study, said that these findings may indicate an earlier phase of RA development than what is observed in people seeking diagnosis and treatment.
“These were a group of subjects that had key features of early arthritis,” he noted in an ACR press release.
The participants with early signs of RA that the investigators identified included 17 women with an average age of about 49 years. The investigators found that 28.6% of those with “definite” RA were positive for rheumatoid factor, while 4.8% were positive for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody.
Based on statistics in the release, the investigators detected elevated C-reactive protein levels in 11 participants (52.4%). They also found a median of three swollen and 11 tender joints.
“This is the first study of its kind, and like any first study it needs to be followed up and the findings replicated,” V. Michael Holers, MD, a senior author of the study and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, stated in the release. “However, we’re certainly excited about the results and think that these new criteria might also be an excellent research tool to identify individuals who may be at high risk of progressing further in the disease course to a clinical diagnosis of RA.”
Reference:
Kolfenbach JR, Derber L, Deane KD, et al. Application of the new ACR/EULAR classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis to at-risk populations may identify RA prior to clinical presentation. Paper #658. Presented at the 2010 ACR Annual Scientific Meeting. November 7-11. Atlanta.
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