title: Identification of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: challenges and future directions.
abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis that affects the adult population. Early diagnosis and treatment are the cornerstones to prevent joint damage and avoid long-term costs and disability. This article reviews the limitations of the currently available tools for the evaluation of patients with early arthritis, including clinical assessment, serologic markers and imaging modalities. It also discusses gene expression analysis, a newer and potentially promising approach to the early diagnosis of RA.
authors.affiliation: UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. catalinaorozco@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Catalina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orozco
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D013585:Synovitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies