Klaus Peter Machold

1. Introduction Damage to the peripheral nerves may result in small fiber neuropathy (SFN) [1], affecting the thinly myelinated Aδ-fibres and unmyelinated C-fibres [2]. In addition, somatic and autonomic fibers, responsible for thermal and pain perception and the control of autonomic and enteric functions, can be affected, resulting in either autonomic or somatic symptoms or both [3].

The present trial in patients with very early arthritis yields several important findings on the effects of treatment of early inflammatory arthritis with DMARD therapy. First, as in the SAVE trial [32], our study indicated that spontaneous remission (on placebo and supportive treatment alone) occurred only very rarely in patients with undifferentiated arthritis or very early RA of 12 weeks duration.