Article Figures & Tables
Tables
- Box 1: The 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis
Target population: patients who have at least 1 joint with definite clinical synovitis (swelling),
with the synovitis not better explained by another disease
Classification criteria (score-based algorithm: add score of categories A–D; a score of ≥ 6/10 is needed for classification of a patient as having definite rheumatoid arthritis)* Score (A) Joint involvement† 1 large joint 0 2–10 large joints 1 1–3 small joints (with or without involvement of large joints) 2 4–10 small joints (with or without involvement of large joints) 3 > 10 joints (at least 1 small joint) 5 (B) Serology (≥ 1 test result is needed for classification)‡ Negative RF and negative ACPA 0 Low-positive RF or low-positive ACPA 2 High-positive RF or high-positive ACPA 3 (C) Acute-phase reactants (≥ 1 test result is needed for classification) Normal CRP and normal ESR 0 Abnormal CRP or abnormal ESR 1 (D) Duration of symptoms < 6 wk 0 ≥ 6 wk 1 Note: ACPA = anticitrullinated peptide antibody, CRP = C-reactive protein, ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate, RF = rheumatoid factor.
↵* Although patients with a score of < 6/10 are not classifiable as having rheumatoid arthritis, their status can be reassessed and the criteria might be fulfilled cumulatively over time.
↵† “Large joints” refers to shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles.
↵‡ “Negative” refers to values that are less than or equal to the upper limit of normal (ULN) for the laboratory and assay; “low-positive” refers to values that are higher than the ULN but less than or equal to three times the ULN; “high-positive” refers to values that are greater than three times the ULN.
Reprinted, with permission, from Aletaha et al. (1)