Treating very early rheumatoid arthritis

K Raza, CE Buckley, M Salmon, CD Buckley - Best practice & research …, 2006 - Elsevier
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is common and leads to joint damage due to persistent synovitis.
The persistence of inflammation is maintained by hyperplastic stromal tissue, which drives
the accumulation of leukocytes in the synovium. Aggressive treatment after the first 3–4
months of symptoms, with either disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or anti-tumor
necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapy, reduces the rate of disease progression. However, it rarely
switches off disease such that remission can be maintained without the continued need for …