RA: Do autoantibodies disappear in treatment-free remission?
The long-term study indicates treating to autoantibody disappearance is not appropriate
Patients who are free of rheumatoid arthritis synovitis for years after ceasing treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs usually still have autoantibodies in their blood, Dutch researchers say.
In the first research to look at the serology of RA patients in such long-term drug-free remission, a significant decline in mean levels of rheumatoid factor is seen but it usually doesn’t disappear completely.
