Inclusion criteria | |
• Early (< 1 year) RA, fulfilling 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria | |
• Age ≥ 18 years | |
• Ability and willingness to give written informed consent | |
• Ability to comply with the study protocol | |
Exclusion criteria | |
• Significant visual deformations of hands or fingers (impeding HandScan analysis) | |
Other (joint) disease | |
• Concomitant or current inflammatory joint disease other than RA | |
• Porphyria (HandScan risk analysis). | |
Drug-specific | |
• Contraindication for methotrexate or prednisolone | |
• Glucocorticoids used for RA < 6 weeks prior to baseline (NB, inhaled glucocorticoids are allowed) | |
• Previous treatment with any (biological) DMARD that is used in the treatment of RA | |
• Treatment with any investigational agent within 4 weeks or period of five half-lives, whichever is longer, before screening | |
• Patients using photodynamic therapy medication (HandScan risk analysis) | |
General medical | |
• Pregnancy or breast-feeding | |
• History of alcohol or substance abuse within the 6 months prior to screening. Alcohol abuse is defined as more than 3 units per day | |
• Neuropathies or other painful conditions that might interfere with pain evaluation |