Research progress on serological indices and their clinical application in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: As a chronic systemic autoimmune disease of undetermined etiology, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has a complex pathogenesis, which involves multiple proteins and cytokines. The 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria facilitate early diagnosis of RA with reduced specificity when compared to the 1987 ACR criteria. Hence, it is imperative to identify novel serological inflammatory indicators and targets, in order to explain the complex regulatory network of RA.