... consequence of the activation of many cell populationsand, ultimately, of the upregulation of proinflammatory cyto-kines [19,20]. By whichever means they themselves becomeactivated, they induce ... 1Composite indices are the best depicters of disease activity. The degree of disease activityat the start of a disease-modifying therapy is amajor determinant of the disease activityattainable in ... M, Smolen JS:Benefit of very early referral and very early therapy withdisease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2004, 43:906-914.63....