1. Smolen JS, Aletaha D, Bijlsma JW, Breedveld FC, Boumpas D, Burmester G, et al. T2T Expert Committee. Treating rheumatoid arthritis to target: recommendations of an international task force. Ann Rheum Dis. 2010; 69:631–7.

2. Fransen J, Creemers MC, Van Riel PL. Remission in rheumatoid arthritis: agreement of the disease activity score (DAS28) with the ARA preliminary remission criteria. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2004; 43:1252–5.

3. Saadeh C. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate: old and new clinical applications. South Med J. 1998; 91:220–5.

4. Sox HC Jr, Liang MH. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Guidelines for rational use. Ann Intern Med. 1986; 104:515–23.

5. Smith EM, Samadian S. Use of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the elderly. Br J Hosp Med. 1994; 51:394–7.

6. Talstad I, Scheie P, Dalen H, Röli J. Influence of plasma proteins on erythrocyte morphology and sedimentation. Scand J Haematol. 1983; 31:478–84.

7. Kushner I. C-reactive protein in rheumatology. Arthritis Rheum. 1991; 34:1065–8.

8. Wells G, Becker JC, Teng J, Dougados M, Schiff M, Smolen J, et al. Validation of the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) and European League Against Rheumatism response criteria based on C-reactive protein against disease progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and comparison with the DAS28 based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Ann Rheum Dis. 2009; 68:954–60.

9. Ward MM. Relative sensitivity to change of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum C-reactive protein concentration in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2004; 31:884–95.

10. Matsui T, Kuga Y, Kaneko A, Nishino J, Eto Y, Chiba N, et al. Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) using C-reactive protein underestimates disease activity and overestimates EULAR response criteria compared with DAS28 using erythrocyte sedimentation rate in a large observational cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients in Japan. Ann Rheum Dis. 2007; 66:1221–6.

11. Tamhane A, Redden DT, McGwin G Jr, Brown EE, Westfall AO, Reynolds RJ IV, et al. Comparison of the disease activity score using erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein in African Americans with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2013; 40:1812–22.

12. Koo BS, Hong S, Kim YJ, Kim YG, Lee CK, Yoo B. Clinical characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have sustained high erythrocyte sedimentation rates after clinical remission. J Rheum Dis. 2014; 21:20–4.

13. Wolfe F, Michaud K. The clinical and research significance of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. J Rheumatol. 1994; 21:1227–37.

14. Mierau M, Schoels M, Gonda G, Fuchs J, Aletaha D, Smolen JS. Assessing remission in clinical practice. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2007; 46:975–9.

15. Mäkinen H, Kautiainen H, Hannonen P, Sokka T. Is DAS28 an appropriate tool to assess remission in rheumatoid arthritis? Ann Rheum Dis. 2005; 64:1410–3.

16. Balsa A, Carmona L, González-Alvaro I, Belmonte MA, Tena X, Sanmartí R. EMECAR Study Group. Value of Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) and DAS28-3 compared to American College of Rheumatology-defined remission in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2004; 31:40–6.

17. Lee YH, Lee JS, Kang ES. Defining remission of Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheum Dis. 2008; 15:204–11.

18. Sokka T, Hetland ML, Mäkinen H, Kautiainen H, Hørslev-Petersen K, Luukkainen RK, et al. Questionnaires in Standard Monitoring of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Group. Remission and rheumatoid arthritis: data on patients receiving usual care in twenty-four countries. Arthritis Rheum. 2008; 58:2642–51.