Early undifferentiated connective tissue disease. IV. Musculoskeletal manifestations in a large cohort of patients with undifferentiated connective tissue diseases compared with cohorts of patients with well‐established connective tissue diseases: Followup analyses in patients with unexplained polyarthritis and patients with rheumatoid arthritis at baseline

Abstract

Baseline features (joint counts, and ESR) among RA patients were variously predictive of persistently active disease at years 1-5. Consistent baseline predictors of outcome among patients with UPA only emerged at year 1. Remission occurred in approximately 20% of RA patients, whereas a similar percentage of patients with UPA developed RA. These findings have implications with regard to treatment decisions in patients with early RA and/or UPA.