PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF RHEUMATOID-FACTOR IN EARLY RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

The prognostic value of quantitative measurement of rheumatoid factor (RF) by immunoturbidimetry was evaluated in 78 patients with early rhe umatoid arthritis (RA) during a 3-yr follow-up. After starting disease -modifying antirheumatic treatment, a significant improvement in conve ntional clinical and laboratory variables measuring disease activity w as observed, while a steady increase was found in radiological progres sion. Initial RF levels correlated with radiologically determined join t damage up to 3 yr, whereas no correlation of other initially determi ned conventional variables of disease activity was found. High levels of RF at entry and persistent RF positivity during the follow-up were markers for destructive disease. Initial RF positivity alone was a sen sitive predictor for later joint destruction, but quantitative measure ment of the initial RF level a;nd especially repeated measurements of RF seemed to add significantly to the prognostic value of RF in distin guishing between progressive and non-progressive disease in early RA.