Table I.

Characteristics of patients

Patients	1	2	3
Gender	female	male	male
Age (years)	55	56	65
Antibodies anty-CCP (norm 0,0–5,0 U/ml)	– > 600.0 U/ml – 1056.0 U/ml positive results	0.90 U/ml negative result	3.6 U/ml negative result
RFIgM (ELISA method; negative < 20 RU/ml)	> 200.0 RU/ml positive result	> 200.0 RU/ml positive result	73.6 RU/ml positive result
Antygen HLA-B27	positive	positive	positive
X-rays of hands and feet	changes typical for RA stage III / IV by Steinbrocker	changes typical for RA stage III by Steinbrocker	changes typical for RA stage II by Steinbrocker
X-ray of sacroiliac joints	features of ankylosis at the sacroiliac joints (sacroilitis bilateralis IV/IV)	features of ankylosis at the sacroiliac joints (sacroilitis bilateralis IV/IV)	sacroilitis bilateralis III/II
X-ray of the spine	cervical spinal fusions on the level of vertebral pedicles	squaring of vertebral bodies and ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligaments at C3-C4-C5-C6-C7 levels.	a bony bridge on the level of Th10 and Th11 vertebral bodies; a syndesmophyte on the lateral edge of L3 vertebral body