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Current Rheumatology Reports
Published in: Current Rheumatology Reports 5/2014

01-05-2014 | RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (LW MORELAND, SECTION EDITOR)

Preclinical Rheumatoid Arthritis (Autoantibodies): An Updated Review

Author: Kevin D. Deane

Published in: Current Rheumatology Reports | Issue 5/2014

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Abstract

Multiple studies demonstrate that there is a period of development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during which there are elevations of disease-related biomarkers, including autoantibodies, in the absence of and prior to the development of RA; this period can be termed ‘preclinical RA’. These ‘preclinical’ autoantibodies including rheumatoid factor and antibodies to citrullinated protein antigens, and more recent studies have also identified additional autoantibodies and a wide range of inflammatory biomarkers. These findings in conjunction with established and emerging data about genetic and environmental risk factors for RA support a model of disease development where certain factors lead to an initial triggering of RA-related autoimmunity that expands over time to the point where symptomatic arthritis classifiable as RA develops. Herein will be reviewed updates in the field, as well as a discussion of current limitations of our understanding of preclinical RA, and potential future directions for study.
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Metadata
Title
Preclinical Rheumatoid Arthritis (Autoantibodies): An Updated Review
Author
Kevin D. Deane
Publication date
01-05-2014
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Rheumatology Reports / Issue 5/2014
Print ISSN: 1523-3774
Electronic ISSN: 1534-6307
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-014-0419-6

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