Patient burden and joint-inflammation during development of RA from arthralgia: is it similar in ACPA-positive and ACPA-negative disease?

During RA-development and CSA-resolution, ACPA-positive CSA-patients have lower patient burden, but more subclinical joint-inflammation than ACPA-negative CSA-patients. These data strengthen the notion that the development of ACPA-positive and ACPA-negative RA is pathophysiologically different, and encourage further research on these differences.