title: Does non-erosive rheumatoid arthritis exist? A cross-sectional analysis and a systematic literature review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with non-erosive rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  First, a cross-sectional analytical study was performed. Non-erosive disease, defined as the absence of any erosion on X-rays after 5 years of RA, was evaluated in 500 patients. Further and additional evaluations including ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) were performed in those patients meeting the eligibility criteria. The Spearman correlation coefficient, kappa analysis, and Kendall׳s W test were used to analyze the data. Second, a systematic literature review (SLR) was performed following the PRISMA guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 40 patients meeting the eligibility criteria for non-erosive RA, eight patients were confirmed to have non-erosive RA by the three methods. A positive correlation between non-erosive RA and shorter disease duration, antinuclear antibodies positivity, lower rheumatoid factor (RF) and C-reactive protein titers, lower global visual analog scale values, toxic exposures, and lower disease activity-(RAPID3) was found. In addition, an inverse correlation with anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) positivity and medication use was observed. From the SLR, it was corroborated that factors associated with this subphenotype were shorter disease duration, younger disease onset, negative ACPA and RF titers, low cytokine levels, and some genetic markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-erosive RA is rare, occurring in less than 2% of cases. These findings improve on the understanding of RA patients who present without erosions and are likely to have less severe disease.
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24 No. 63C-69, 11001000 Bogotá, Colombia; Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amaya-Amaya
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24 No. 63C-69, 11001000 Bogotá, Colombia; Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Omar-Javier
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Calixto
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24 No. 63C-69, 11001000 Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saade-Lemus
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24 No. 63C-69, 11001000 Bogotá, Colombia; School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calvo-Paramo
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24 No. 63C-69, 11001000 Bogotá, Colombia; Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Ruben-Dario
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Mantilla
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24 No. 63C-69, 11001000 Bogotá, Colombia; Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rojas-Villarraga
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24 No. 63C-69, 11001000 Bogotá, Colombia; Mederi, Hospital Universitario Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia. Electronic address: juan.anaya@urosario.edu.co.
authors.forename: Juan-Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Anaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies
keywords: Computed tomography; Erosions; Rheumatoid arthritis; Ultrasonography; X-ray