Types of Rheumatoid Arthritis | myRAteam

Connect with others who understand.

sign up Log in
Resources
About myRAteam
Powered By

Types of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Medically reviewed by Ariel D. Teitel, M.D., M.B.A.
Written by Beth Schneider
Posted on August 1, 2018

Adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are generally classified during diagnosis as having seropositive or seronegative RA based on the presence of biomarkers found in the blood. Regardless of classification, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis tend to be similar.

When children are diagnosed with RA, it is called juvenile RA, juvenile chronic arthritis, or juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The condition may or may not disappear as the child grows up.

Seropositive Rheumatoid Arthritis

Between 60 percent and 80 percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis are diagnosed as seropositive. If your blood test shows the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCPs), proteins that provide evidence of an autoimmune reaction, you are considered seropositive. Anti-CCPs can show up in the blood five or even 10 years before RA symptoms appear. Presence of rheumatoid factor (RF) in the blood may also be used in classifying someone as seropositive.

Learn more about seropositive RA.

Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis

If you are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, but anti-CCPs and RF are not found in your blood, you will be classified as seronegative. People with seronegative RA often have a milder disease course than those with seropositive RA. Sometimes seronegative RA patients can become seropositive, even after many years of RA.

Learn more about seronegative RA.

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Juvenile RA symptoms are similar to other types of RS, including swelling, pain, and stiffness in the joints. While symptoms may go into remission with age, some children will continue to have RA-related symptoms in adulthood. In addition to the joint symptoms, juvenile RA may also interfere with a child’s growth and bone development or cause inflammation in the eyes or lymph nodes.

There are several subtypes of juvenile RA. Systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis begins with repeated high fevers and a salmon-colored rash. Systemic onset JIA may involve inflammation of the organs in addition to the joints. Oligoarticular JIA involves fewer than five joints, while polyarticular JIA involves five or more joints. Enthesitis-related arthritis, also called spondyloarthritis, involves the spine and ligaments.

Learn more about juvenile RA.

Condition Guide

Posted on August 1, 2018
All updates must be accompanied by text or a picture.

Become a Subscriber

Get the latest articles about rheumatoid arthritis sent to your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Ariel D. Teitel, M.D., M.B.A. is the clinical associate professor of medicine at the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Learn more about him here
Beth Schneider has been a market research professional for over 35 years. She focuses on both survey research and social listening analysis. Learn more about her here

Related Articles

Have you ever received a vaccine and felt its effects that night or the following day? Inflammati...

Can COVID-19 Vaccination Trigger Rheumatoid Arthritis? What We Currently Know

Have you ever received a vaccine and felt its effects that night or the following day? Inflammati...
Sometimes it can be hard to figure out just what’s causing your joint pain. Take rheumatoid arthr...

Polymyalgia Rheumatica vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis: 5 Differences

Sometimes it can be hard to figure out just what’s causing your joint pain. Take rheumatoid arthr...
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes joint pain and inflammatio...

Hypothyroidism and RA: What’s the Connection?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes joint pain and inflammatio...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated boosters for messenger RNA (mRNA...

New COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters for Omicron: What To Know if You Have RA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated boosters for messenger RNA (mRNA...
There are two main types of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) — seronegative and seropositive — and they ...

Identifying Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

There are two main types of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) — seronegative and seropositive — and they ...
If you or someone you love lives with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you’ve likely done some research...

5 Facts About Rheumatoid Arthritis That Aren’t Well Known

If you or someone you love lives with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you’ve likely done some research...

Recent Articles

Welcome to myRAteam — the place to connect with others living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Th...

Getting Started on myRAteam (VIDEO)

Welcome to myRAteam — the place to connect with others living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Th...
“My primary care provider and rheumatologist both agreed my working days are over,” said a myRAte...

When Should You Stop Working if You Have RA?

“My primary care provider and rheumatologist both agreed my working days are over,” said a myRAte...
Have you ever woken up with unexpected bruises or felt like you’re getting clumsier with age? It ...

Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Cause Balance Problems?

Have you ever woken up with unexpected bruises or felt like you’re getting clumsier with age? It ...
Many people who live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) search for ways to feel better and improve th...

Is Magnesium Good for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Many people who live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) search for ways to feel better and improve th...
The research team at MyHealthTeam recently conducted a survey with 468 members of myRAteam. All m...

Survey Results: myRAteam Members on Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis

The research team at MyHealthTeam recently conducted a survey with 468 members of myRAteam. All m...
This is a short guided meditation by Dr. Christiane Wolf on self-kindness, which gives you more s...

Self-Kindness When Struggling: 6-Minute Guided Meditation

This is a short guided meditation by Dr. Christiane Wolf on self-kindness, which gives you more s...
myRAteam My rheumatoid arthritis Team

Thank you for subscribing!

Become a member to get even more:

sign up for free

close