Patent ID: 7702469

Claim:
A method of predicting whether an individual with undifferentiated arthritis will develop rheumatoid arthritis, wherein the method comprises the steps of: determining in a blood or blood fraction sample for the individual at least one first clinical parameter value selected from: i) serum level of C-reactive protein, HS C-reactive protein (HS CRP) or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR); ii) presence or absence of Rheumatoid Factor autoantibodies or Rheumatoid Factor autoantibody titers; and iii) presence/absence of anti-CCP antibodies or anti-CCP antibody titers; determining for the individual at least one second clinical parameter value selected from: age of the patient, gender of the patient, localization of joint complaints, severity of VAS morning stiffness, number of tender joints, and number of swollen joints; assigning a risk value for each first and second clinical parameter value, and calculating a prediction score to thereby predict whether the individual will develop rheumatoid arthritis.