title: Late-onset, seropositive, erosive rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: This report describes the natural history, clinical features, and therapeutic requirements of late-onset seropositive and/or erosive rheumatoid arthritis (LORA). One hundred twenty-nine patients with mean disease duration of 6 years and mean age of disease onset of 66 years were studied. All patients met American Rheumatism Association criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Ninety-one percent were seropositive for rheumatoid factor, 83% had erosive disease, and 58% had significant medical problems. Therapeutically, most patients required sequential use of multiple second-line agents. Functional classification did not change significantly despite treatment, and complete remissions were unusual even with remittive therapy. It is concluded that a subset of LORA patients have seropositive aggressive, destructive disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Lance
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Curran
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016706:Still's Disease, Adult-Onset / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D008727:Methotrexate