Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by joint inflammation, bone erosion, and eventually deformity. While the pathogenesis of RA is still unclear, there are a variety of comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and infection which are known. Patients with RA have a significantly reduced quality of life and as such, early diagnosis and T2T-targeted therapy are very crucial in improving patient outcomes. With anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) being the most well known, autoantibodies are important for the diagnosis of patients with seropositive RA (RA patients who are positive for RF and/or ACPA). However, there are still patients suspected of RA who are seronegative, making it difficult to distinguish RA from peripheral spondyloarthropathy and polymyalgia rheumatic in diagnosis. It is clear that there is still a lack of biological markers to diagnose, predict the therapeutic response and assess the disease activity of RA. Furthermore, many patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis or advanced rheumatoid arthritis do not respond well to therapeutic drugs, which presents an even greater challenge in clinical settings.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a forum to advance research on the pathogenesis and comorbidities in early and refractory RA, as well as to explore innovative pharmacological interventions in the attempt to achieve a beneficial impact on this chronic disease course. We welcome submissions of Original Research and Review articles, focusing on, but not limited to, the following topics:
1) Novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of RA;
2) Novel biomarkers for prediction of pre-RA development;
3) Multi-biomarkers for disease activity assessment, clinical response, and bone erosion prediction;
4) Clinical strategies for early prevention and control of RA;
5) Etiology and pathogenesis of refractory RA;
6) Clinical decision making in refractory RA;
7) Comorbidities in early and refractory RA
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by joint inflammation, bone erosion, and eventually deformity. While the pathogenesis of RA is still unclear, there are a variety of comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and infection which are known. Patients with RA have a significantly reduced quality of life and as such, early diagnosis and T2T-targeted therapy are very crucial in improving patient outcomes. With anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) being the most well known, autoantibodies are important for the diagnosis of patients with seropositive RA (RA patients who are positive for RF and/or ACPA). However, there are still patients suspected of RA who are seronegative, making it difficult to distinguish RA from peripheral spondyloarthropathy and polymyalgia rheumatic in diagnosis. It is clear that there is still a lack of biological markers to diagnose, predict the therapeutic response and assess the disease activity of RA. Furthermore, many patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis or advanced rheumatoid arthritis do not respond well to therapeutic drugs, which presents an even greater challenge in clinical settings.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a forum to advance research on the pathogenesis and comorbidities in early and refractory RA, as well as to explore innovative pharmacological interventions in the attempt to achieve a beneficial impact on this chronic disease course. We welcome submissions of Original Research and Review articles, focusing on, but not limited to, the following topics:
1) Novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of RA;
2) Novel biomarkers for prediction of pre-RA development;
3) Multi-biomarkers for disease activity assessment, clinical response, and bone erosion prediction;
4) Clinical strategies for early prevention and control of RA;
5) Etiology and pathogenesis of refractory RA;
6) Clinical decision making in refractory RA;
7) Comorbidities in early and refractory RA
