with early rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: To determine whether the presence of radiographic erosions at disease onset in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with clinical, serological, or genetic factors of poor outcome and whether patients with erosions only in the feet have a dif-ferent pattern of presentation. Methods: Sixty one patients with early RA (<6 months of evolution) were studied. Clinical evaluation and serologi-cal, radiological, and genetic studies were performed at disease onset and after one year. Results: Forty one (67%) patients showed erosions in their hands or in their feet, or in both. Subjects with erosive RA had a higher number of swollen joints (SJN; 9 (SD 6) v 6 (3), p=0.008), and rheumatoid factor (RF) positivity was more common (80 % v 50%, p<0.02) than those withou