title: Seronegative oligoarthritis: a 23-year follow-up study.
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term outcome of non-specific seronegative oligoarthritis in adults. The study included 64 adult patients with recent (<6 months) seronegative oligoarthritis (rheumatoid factor negative, number of swollen joints 1-4 during the first 6 months). Follow-up examinations were carried out at onset and at 1, 3 and 8 years from entry. A total of 47 patients attended the 23-year follow-up. The endpoint outcome was good. Seven had mild erosions in the hands or feet. Only one patient with HLA-B27 developed bilateral sacroiliitis. Three patients had retired from work because of joint disease. The functional outcome of the patients analysed by HAQ was very good after 23 years: 0 in 33 and 0.1-0.9 in 12 of the 47 patients. Reclassification revealed a certain heterogeneity: one case each of rheumatoid arthritis, SLE and ankylosing spondylitis, two cases of post-traumatic arthritis, four of osteoarthrosis, and six of possible reactive arthritis. Out of the remaining 49 patients 15 were HLA-B27 positive and 16 had at least one of the psoriasis-related HLA antigens (HLA-B13, 17, w16). In conclusion, our 23-year prospective follow-up study of patients with seronegative oligoarthritis confirms their favourable outcome. The reason is that the endpoint diagnoses seemed to be similar to those of mild spondylarthropathies.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola, Finland.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Jäntti
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaarela
authors.forename: K E S
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Lehtinen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D016918:Arthritis, Reactive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen