Gene expression profiles in synovial biopsies from patients with arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disorder that results in progressive joint damage when insufficiently treated. In order to prevent joint destruction and functional disability in RA, early diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment with Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) is needed. However, in daily clinical practice, patients may initially display symptoms of arthritis that do not fulfil the classification criteria for a definite diagnosis of RA, or any other joint disease, a situation called Undifferentiated Arthritis (UA). Out of the patients with UA, 30 to 50% usually develop RA, and early identification of these remains a challenge.

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Nzeusseu Toukap A, Galant C, Theate I, Maudoux AL, Lories RJ, Houssiau FA, Lauwerys BR