Early Undifferentiated Arthritis Patients Research Articles

Association between PYTPN22 rs2476601, VEGF rs833070, TNFAIP3 rs6920220 Polymorphisms and Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Early Undifferentiated Arthritis Patients: A Pilot Study.

Background and Objectives: About 40% of early undifferentiated arthritis (UA) progresses to rheumatoid (RA) or other chronic arthritis. Novel diagnostic tools predicting the risk for this progression are needed to identify the patients who would benefit from early aggressive treatment. Evidence on the role of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the development of RA has emerged. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between rs2476601, rs833070, and rs6920220 SNPs and UA progression to RA. Materials and Methods: Ninety-two UA patients were observed for 12 months. At study entry, demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded, musculoskeletal ultrasonography was performed, and blood samples were drawn to investigate levels of inflammatory markers, rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (anti-CCP)detect SNPs. After 12 months, UA outcomes were assessed, and patients were divided into two (RA and non-RA) groups. The association between the risk of progression to chronic inflammatory arthritis and analyzed SNPs was measured by computing odds ratios (OR). Results: After a 12-month follow-up, 27 (29.3%) patients developed RA, and 65 (70.7%) patients were assigned to the non-RA group. The arthritis of 21 patients (22.8%) from the non-RA group resolved completely, while the other 44 (47.2%) patients were diagnosed with another rheumatic inflammatory disease. The patients who developed RA had a significantly greater number of tender and swollen joints (p = 0.010 and p = 0.021 respectively) and were more frequently RF or anti-CCP (p < 0.001), and both RF and anti-CCP positive (p < 0.001) at the baseline as compared with the patients in the non-RA group. No significant association between rs2476601 (OR = 0.99, p = 0.98), rs833070 (OR = 1.0, p = 0.97), and rs6920220 (OR = 0.48, p = 0.13) polymorphisms and the risk of developing RA were found. Conclusions: No association between analyzed SNPs and a greater risk to progress from UA to RA was confirmed, although patients with rs6920220 AA + AG genotypes had fewer tender joints at the disease onset.

Do new and old biomarkers of early undifferentiated arthritis correlate with Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales?

In early undifferentiated arthritis (EUA), the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers and disability is still unclear. The aim of this study was to correlate inflammatory biomarkers with the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) in EUA. Seventy patients with EUA were compared with 20 patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The association of AIMS [mobility, physical impairment (PI), dexterity, household activities, activities of daily living (ADL), social activity, pain, anxiety, depression] with serum laboratory [phase acute reactants, calprotectin, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, rheumatoid factor, anti-nuclear and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies, HLA-DRB], clinical [Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), fatigue, pain and stiffness NRS], x-ray and ultrasound biomarkers was analysed with non-parametric Spearman's rank correlation and Mann-Whitney U tests. No differences in AIMS were found between EUA and established RA patients, or between EUA patients that evolved into early RA (n=17) and those that remained EUA (n=53) at six months of follow-up. In EUA, erythrocyte sedimentation rate correlated with mobility impairment, PI and depression (p=0.04, p=0.03 and p=0.022, respectively), TNF-α correlated with PI (p=0.01) and calprotectin with anxiety (p=0.02). HLA-DRB1*11-positive EUA patients had lower ADL deficiency (p=0.006), depression (p=0.0004) and anxiety (p=0.01). CDAI correlated with PI (p=0.01) and pain (p=0.01), fatigue with PI (p=0.0001) and ADL (p=0.009), stiffness with PI (p=0.01), and Power Doppler ultrasound synovitis with PI (p=0.02) and pain (p=0.007). In EUA, physical and mood disorders are associated with new and old inflammatory serological, clinical and imaging biomarkers. HLA-DRB1*11-positivity may be protective against these disease-related features.

THE ROLE OF HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AS MONOTHERAPY IN MANAGING EARLY UNDIFFERENTIATED ARTHRITIS: A PROSPECTIVE HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY

Introduction: Early undifferentiated arthritis (EUA) is a common form of arthritis comprising, joint pain, stiffness and swelling with no definitive diagnosis. Patients of EUA can progress to other forms of rheumatic arthropathies such as rheumatoid arthritis or remain in the same form or spontaneously disappear. The main focus of this study is to explore the potential effect of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in management of EUA as a monotherapy treatment. Methods: This is a prospective hospital-based study which was conducted in Almwada hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. The study included thirty patients of EUA. Full clinical examination and history were done by a rheumatologist, and all the related investigations were obtained, and they all received HCQ after EUA diagnosis has been established. Result: The study shows that 96% of the patients responded well to the treatment and 10% had their duration of treatment doubled to show a favorable response. We also found that female patients weremore commonly affected than male ones with higher incidence among middle aged as compared to others. After treatment with HCQ, 86.6% of the patients showed average mean decrease in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) by 44%, the other 13.4%, even though they were symptoms free after treatment they showed increased level of ESR by 30% average. Conclusion: In the present study we found out most of the EUA patients are well responded to the HCQ treatment, and most of them respond from the first course of treatment, the study also shows higher incidence among female in compared to male.

AB0264 The Differences between Early Undifferentiated Arthritis Patients According to the 2010 Acr/Eular Criteria Fulfilled at the Disease Onset – do These Matter?

BackgroundEarly undifferentiated arthritis (EUA) include early arthritis (EA) patients who fulfill less than 6 points of the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The key element is to...

SAT0209 The Clinical and Radiographic Course of Early Undifferentiated Arthritis under Treatment is not Dependent on the Amount of Erosions at Diagnosis. Results from the Swiss Prospective Observational Cohort

ObjectivesTo analyse whether ACR/EULAR negative early undifferentiated arthritis patients have a different course of the disease dependent on whether they can or cannot be classified as RA because of radiographic...

Risk factors of persistent synovitis development in early undifferentiated arthritis patients

BackgroundPersistent synovitis (PS) may lead to erosive joint damage and result in functional disability.ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to identify the risk factors for development of PS in early undifferentiated arthritis patients (EUA) attending Al Sharqia Governorate Hospitals, Egypt.Patients and methodsA total of 80 EUA patients comprised the patients group. Assessment was performed twice (baseline and after 1 year) using clinical, laboratory, functional, and radiological [high resolution ultrasonography (HRUS) and power Doppler (PD)] assessments.ResultsAmong 80 patients assessed, 20 (25%) showed evidence of self-limiting arthritis and 60 (75%) had PS (PS):16 (27%) developed rheumatoid arthritis, 14 (23%) progressed to spondyloarthropathy, and 30 (50%) remained undifferentiated (UA). Baseline tender and swollen Joint Counts (TJC and SJC) and anti-CCP2 titer were significantly evident in PS patients. Baseline HRUS total score of synovitis and PD total score were significantly higher in PS patients. Family history of any specific rheumatic disease, SJC, anti-CCP2 titer, HRUS total synovitis score, and PD total score were the significant risk factors of PS development. The most significant risk factor of PS (logistic regression analysis) was the baseline PD total score.ConclusionBaseline PD total score is the most significant risk factor for development of PS in EUA patients.RecommendationPD examination of all patients presenting with EUA should be performed.

Does serotyping for an extended anti-citrullinated peptide autoantibody panel add value to CCP2 testing in the diagnosis of RA amongst early undifferentiated arthritis patients?

Does serotyping for an extended anti-citrullinated peptide autoantibody panel add value to CCP2 testing in the diagnosis of RA amongst early undifferentiated arthritis patients?

Does testing for circulating autoantibodies against disease-relevant citrullinated antigens add value to the CCP2 assay in diagnosing RA among early undifferentiated arthritis patients?

BackgroundThe antigen substrates employed in the widely-used CCP2 assay do not correspond to in vivo-generated citrullinated proteins so far implicated in the potential pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We assessed...