Objective. Treatment algorithms in RA include factors associated with poor prognosis; however, many patients remain erosion free despite years of disease. Our objective was to characterize the group of RA patients without erosions and identify its clinical predictors.

Methods. Our study was conducted within a prospective observational cohort of RA patients recruited from the outpatient practice of an academic medical centre. We studied patients with bilateral hand radiographs at cohort baseline and 2-year follow-up assessed with Sharp/van der Heijde scores (SHS). The primary outcome was erosion-free status at baseline and 2-year follow-up. We assessed baseline values of the following as potential correlates: age at RA onset, gender, RA duration, BMI, 28-joint DAS (DAS-28), CRP, anti-CCP status, tender and swollen joint counts, functional status [multidimensional HAQ (MDHAQ)], tobacco use and RA treatments. Variables with P ≤ 0.25 in the univariate analyses were assessed using backward selection in multivariable logistic regression models.

Results. Of the 271 subjects included, 21% (n = 56) were considered erosion free. Forty-six per cent (n = 26) of this group was anti-CCP positive compared with 56% (n = 121) in subjects with erosions present. Mean RA duration for erosion-free subjects was 3.9 years compared with 4.6 years in erosive subjects. Treatments for RA did not differ between the two groups. In the multivariable-adjusted analysis, significant predictors of erosion-free status were younger age at onset and shorter RA duration.

Conclusion. In our cohort, 21% of subjects were erosion free at baseline and 2 years. Few baseline clinical characteristics significantly predicted erosion-free status.

Background

Cumulative genetic profiles can help identify individuals at high-risk for developing RA. We examined the impact of 39 validated genetic risk alleles on the risk of RA phenotypes characterized by serologic and erosive status.

Methods/Principal Findings

We evaluated single nucleotide polymorphisms at 31 validated RA risk loci and 8 Human Leukocyte Antigen alleles among 542 Caucasian RA cases and 551 Caucasian controls from Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II. We created a weighted genetic risk score (GRS) and evaluated it as 7 ordinal groups using logistic regression (adjusting for age and smoking) to assess the relationship between GRS group and odds of developing seronegative (RF− and CCP−), seropositive (RF+ or CCP+), erosive, and seropositive, erosive RA phenotypes. In separate case only analyses, we assessed the relationships between GRS and age of symptom onset.

In 542 RA cases, 317 (58%) were seropositive, 163 (30%) had erosions and 105 (19%) were seropositive with erosions. Comparing the highest GRS risk group to the median group, we found an OR of 1.2 (95% CI = 0.8–2.1) for seronegative RA, 3.0 (95% CI = 1.9–4.7) for seropositive RA, 3.2 (95% CI = 1.8–5.6) for erosive RA, and 7.6 (95% CI = 3.6–16.3) for seropositive, erosive RA. No significant relationship was seen between GRS and age of onset.

Conclusions/Significance

Results suggest that seronegative and seropositive/erosive RA have different genetic architecture and support the importance of considering RA phenotypes in RA genetic studies.

Objective

The American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism have developed new classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of Phase 2 of the development process was to achieve expert consensus on the clinical and laboratory variables that should contribute to the final criteria set.

Methods

Twenty-four expert RA clinicians (12 from Europe and 12 from North America) participated in Phase 2. A consensus-based decision analysis approach was used to identify factors (and their relative weights) that influence the probability of “developing RA,” complemented by data from the Phase 1 study. Patient case scenarios were used to identify and reach consensus on factors important in determining the probability of RA development. Decision analytic software was used to derive the relative weights for each of the factors and their categories, using choice-based conjoint analysis.

Results

The expert panel agreed that the new classification criteria should be applied to individuals with undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis in whom at least 1 joint is deemed by an expert assessor to be swollen, indicating definite synovitis. In this clinical setting, they identified 4 additional criteria as being important: number of joints involved and site of involvement, serologic abnormality, acute-phase response, and duration of symptoms in the involved joints. These criteria were consistent with those identified in the Phase 1 data-driven approach.

Conclusion

The consensus-based, decision analysis approach used in Phase 2 complemented the Phase 1 efforts. The 4 criteria and their relative weights form the basis of the final criteria set.

Objective

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are a rich data source for discovery research but are underutilized due to the difficulty of extracting highly accurate clinical data. We assessed whether a classification algorithm incorporating narrative EMR data (typed physician notes), more accurately classifies subjects with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to an algorithm using codified EMR data alone.

Methods

Subjects with ≥1 ICD9 RA code (714.xx) or who had anti-CCP checked in the EMR of two large academic centers were included into an ‘RA Mart’ (n=29,432). For all 29,432 subjects, we extracted narrative (using natural language processing) and codified RA clinical information. In a training set of 96 RA and 404 non-RA cases from the RA Mart classified by medical record review, we used narrative and codified data to develop classification algorithms using logistic regression. These algorithms were applied to the entire RA Mart. We calculated and compared the positive predictive value (PPV) of these algorithms by reviewing records of an additional 400 subjects classified as RA by the algorithms.

Results

A complete algorithm (narrative and codified data) classified RA subjects with a significantly higher PPV of 94%, than an algorithm with codified data alone (PPV 88%). Characteristics of the RA cohort identified by the complete algorithm were comparable to existing RA cohorts (80% female, 63% anti-CCP+, 59% erosion+).

Conclusion

We demonstrate the ability to utilize complete EMR data to define an RA cohort with a PPV of 94%, which was superior to an algorithm using codified data alone.

Increasingly, assays for the detection of anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) are used in RA diagnosis. This review summarizes the biologic basis and development of ACPA assays, available ACPA assays and their performance characteristics, and diagnostic properties of ACPA alone and compared to rheumatoid factor (RF) in early RA. We also review correlations, precision, costs and cost-effectiveness, availability, stability and reproducibility of the available assays. Taken together, data indicate that ACPA has a higher specificity than RF for early RA, good predictive validity, high sensitivity, apparent cost-effectiveness and good stability and reproducibility. Given its superior performance characteristics and increasing availability, ACPA is emerging as the most useful single assay for the diagnosis of RA.

Objective

Classification of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is increasingly important as new therapies can halt the disease in its early stages. Antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) are widely used for RA diagnosis, but are not in the 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Criteria for RA Classification. We developed and tested the performance characteristics of new criteria for RA classification, incorporating anti-CCP.

Methods

We identified all subjects seen in our Arthritis Center with rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-CCP tested simultaneously between January 1 and June 30, 2004 and reviewed their medical records for the ACR criteria, rheumatologists' diagnoses, RF and anti-CCP. We revised the ACR criteria in two ways: (1) adding anti-CCP, (2) replacing rheumatoid nodules and erosions with anti-CCP (CCP 6 criteria). We compared sensitivity and specificity of all criteria, in all subjects and in subjects with arthritis symptoms ≤ 6 months.

Results

Medical records of 292 subjects were analysed: mean age was 54 years, 82% were women, and mean symptom duration was 4.1 years. 17% were RF+ and 14% were anti-CCP+ at initial testing. 78 (27%) had definite RA per treating rheumatologist at latest follow-up.

The CCP 6 criteria increased sensitivity for RA classification for all subjects regardless of symptom duration: 74% vs. 51% for ACR criteria with a loss in specificity (81% vs. 91%). Sensitivity was greatly improved in subjects with symptoms ≤ 6 months: 25% vs. 63% for ACR criteria with a decrease in specificity.

Conclusion

The CCP 6 criteria improved upon the sensitivity of the ACR criteria, most remarkably for subjects with symptoms ≤ 6 months and could be used for classification of subjects for RA in clinical studies.

Summary

Recent studies have increased our understanding of environmental exposures that modify risk for RA such as smoking and alcohol intake. Other factors such as birthweight, breastfeeding, socioeconomic status and region of birth have also been demonstrated to contribute to risk. ACPA status is associated with specific environmental factors and is therefore important to incorporate into present and future studies.

Objective

The co-occurrence of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been reported in individuals and families. We studied the strength and nature of this association at the population level.

Methods

We conducted a case-control study of 1419 incident RA cases and 1674 controls between 1996 and 2003. Subjects were recruited from university, public and private rheumatology units throughout Sweden. Blood samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP), rheumatoid factor (RF) and the presence or absence of the 620W PTPN22 allele. Information on history of diabetes was obtained by questionnaire, telephone interview, and medical record review. The prevalence of T1D and type 2 diabetes (T2D) was compared between incident RA cases and controls and further stratified by anti-CCP, RF status, and the presence of the PTPN22 risk allele.

Results

T1D was associated with an increased risk of RA, OR 4.9 (95% CI 1.8–13.1), and was specific for anti-CCP+ RA, OR 7.3 (95% CI 2.7–20.0), but not anti-CCP negative RA. Further adjustment for PTPN22 attenuated the odds ratio for anti-CCP+ RA in individuals with T1D to 5.3 (95% CI 1.5–18.7). No association was observed between RA and T2D.

Conclusion

The association between T1D and RA is specific for a particular RA subset, anti-CCP+ RA. The risk of type 1 diabetics developing RA later in life may be attributed in part to the presence of the 620W PTPN22 allele, suggesting a common pathway for the pathogenesis of these two diseases.

Mutation of the 3β-hydroxysterol Δ7-reductase gene (Dhcr7−/−) results in Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS). Patients, and genetically altered mice, are unable to produce cholesterol and accumulate 7-dehydrocholesterol (DHC) in serum and tissue. This causes multiple growth and developmental abnormalities as well as immune system anomalies including allergy. Because cholesterol is a key component of liquid-ordered membranes (lipid rafts) and these domains have been implicated in regulating mast cell activation, we examined whether mast cell responsiveness is altered in this model. Mast cells derived from Dhcr7−/− mice (DHCR KO) showed constitutive cytokine production and hyper-degranulation after stimulation of the high affinity IgE receptor (FcɛRI). DHCR KO mast cells, but not wild-type mast cells, accumulated DHC in lipid rafts. DHC partially disrupted lipid raft stability and displaced Lyn kinase protein and activity from lipid rafts. This led to down-regulation of some Lyn-dependent signaling events but increased Fyn kinase activity and Akt phosphorylation. The Lyn-dependent phosphorylation of Csk-binding protein, which negatively regulates Fyn activity, was decreased. This phenotype reproduces some of the characteristics of Lyn-null mast cells, which also demonstrate hyper-degranulation. These findings provide the first evidence of lipid raft dysfunction in SLOS and may explain the observed association of allergy with SLOS.