Unraveling heterogeneity within ACPA-negative rheumatoid arthritis: the subgroup of patients with a strong clinical and serological response to initiation of DMARD treatment favor disease resolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a heterogeneous disease, as evidenced by the differences in long-term outcomes. This applies especially to anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA)-negative RA, where a proportion achieves sustained DMARD-free remission (SDFR; sustained absence of synovitis after DMARD cessation). Differentiation of RA patients who will achieve SDFR can guide personalized treatment/tapering strategies. Although this subgroup remains scarcely discerned, previous research demonstrated that these RA patients are characterized by an early clinical response (DAS remission after 4 months) after DMARD start. We studied whether, in addition to this clinical response, a specific biomarker response can further distinguish the subgroup of RA patients most likely to

SUBMITTER: Verstappen M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8722281 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature