© 1995 British Society for Rheumatology
research-article |
PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF RHEUMATOID FACTOR IN EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Department of Rheumatology, Helsinki City Hospital Helsinki, Finland
*National Public Health Institute Helsinki, Finland
Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital Helsinki, Finland
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to: L. Paimela, Department of Rheumatology, Helsinki City Hospital, Talvelantie 6, FIN-00700 Helsinki, Finland.
The prognostic value of quantitative measurement of rheumatoid factor (RF) by immunoturbidimetry was evaluated in 78 patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during a 3-yr follow-up. After starting disease-modifying antirheumatic treatment, a significant improvement in conventional clinical and laboratory variables measuring disease activity was observed, while a steady increase was found in radiological progression. Initial RF levels correlated with radiologically determined joint damage up to 3 yr, whereas no correlation of other initially determined conventional variables of disease activity was found. High levels of RF at entry and persistent RF positivity during the follow-up were markers for destructive disease. Initial RF positivity alone was a sensitive predictor for later joint destruction, but quantitative measurement of the initial RF level and especially repeated measurements of RF seemed to add significantly to the prognostic value of RF in distinguishing between progressive and non-progressive disease in early RA.
KEY WORDS: Prognosis, Rheumatoid factor, Rheumatoid arthritis
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. RENESES, M. F. GONZALEZ-ESCRIBANO, A. FERNANDEZ-SUAREZ, L. PESTANA, B. DAVILA, I. WICHMANN, and A. GARCIA The Value of HLA-DRB1 Shared Epitope, -308 Tumor Necrosis Factor-{alpha} Gene Promoter Polymorphism, Rheumatoid Factor, Anti-Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies, and Early Erosions for Predicting Radiological Outcome in Recent-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis J Rheumatol, June 1, 2009; 36(6): 1143 - 1149. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 O. Vittecoq, S. Pouplin, K. Krzanowska, F. Jouen-Beades, J. F. Menard, A. Gayet, A. Daragon, F. Tron, and X. Le Loet Rheumatoid factor is the strongest predictor of radiological progression of rheumatoid arthritis in a three-year prospective study in community-recruited patients Rheumatology, August 1, 2003; 42(8): 939 - 946. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L Paimela, T Palosuo, K Aho, M Lukka, P Kurki, M Leirisalo-Repo, and R von Essen Association of autoantibodies to filaggrin with an active disease in early rheumatoid arthritis Ann Rheum Dis, January 1, 2001; 60(1): 32 - 35. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Aman, L. Paimela, M. Leirisalo-Repo, J. Risteli, H. Kautiainen, T. Helve, and M. Hakala Prediction of disease progression in early rheumatoid arthritis by ICTP, RF and CRP. A comparative 3-year follow-up study Rheumatology, September 1, 2000; 39(9): 1009 - 1013. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|