Tender Joint Count and Inflammatory Activity in Patients With Established Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results From a Longitudinal Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilde B. Hammer ◽  
Brigitte Michelsen ◽  
Sella A. Provan ◽  
Joe Sexton ◽  
Jon Lampa ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1139.1-1139
Author(s):  
Y. Olyunin ◽  
D. Kusevich ◽  
E. Nasonov

Background:Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD) can provide an unbalanced effect on individual components of the inflammatory process, which in some cases leads to an insufficiently correct assessment of the patient’s status when using composite activity indices [1].Objectives:To compare the results of the rituximab (RTX) efficacy assessment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using different composite indices of disease activity.Methods:Patients with active RA observed in 23 medical centers of the Russian Federation were included. They were randomized into 2 groups in a 2:1 ratio. In the main group methotrexate (MTX) was prescribed at 15 mg per week and RTX infusions 600 mg on days 1 and 15. Patients in the control group received MTX 15 mg per week and placebo on days 1 and 15. If after 15 weeks 20% reduction of tender joint count (TJC) and swollen joint count (SJC) was not achieved, another DMARD was prescribed.Results:159 RA patients (131 women and 18 men) were included. The mean age of patients was 51.4±11.8 years, the median duration of RA – 2.8 [0.6; 5.8] years. At baseline DAS28, SDAI and CDAI in all cases assessed disease activity as high. 6 months after RTX administration DAS28 showed remission in 9%, low, moderate and high activity activity in 7%, 47% and 37% of cases, SDAI – in 7%, 12%, 34% and 47%, CDAI – in 7%, 11%, 30% and 52%, respectively. In the control group remission, low, moderate and high activity by DAS28 were revealed in 2%, 2%, 38% and 58%, by SDAI – in 2%, 4%, 35%, 59%, by CDAI – in 2%, 6%, 29%, 63% of patients respectively. After 6 months, in patients achieved the treatment target (remission or low activity) according to DAS28, SJC in 12 cases was 0, in 3 – 1 and in 1 – 2. TJC was 0 in 9 cases and in 7 patients ranged from 1 to 14. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP) in 14 cases was within the normal range and in 2 – increased. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was normal in all cases. SDAI after 6 months showed the target activity in 18 patients treated with RTX. In 12 of them the SJC was 0, in 4 – 1 and in 2 – 2. In 9 cases TJC was 0, in the rest patients it varied from 2 to 5. The level of CRP was normal in 15 patients, ESR – in all patients. CDAI met the target activity in 17 patients. In 12 of them, SJC was 0, in 3 – 1, in 2 – 2. The level of CRP was normal in 14, ESR – in all patients.Conclusion:Assessment of RTX efficacy with DAS28, SDAI, and CDAI in RA provided comparable number of patients who achieved remission or low disease activity 6 months after administration of the drug. The groups of patients who reached this target level of activity by DAS28, SDAI, and CDAI did not have significant differences in the values of main measures characterizing residual inflammatory activity, including SJC, TJC, ESR, and CRP.References:[1]Bastida C, Soy D, Ruiz-Esquide V, Sanmartí R, et al. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2019 Aug;85(8):1710-1718.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. ten Klooster ◽  
N. de Graaf ◽  
H. E. Vonkeman

Abstract Background In well-controlled rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without significant joint damage, a substantial proportion of patients complain of persistent pain. Previous studies have identified different pain phenotypes in RA, in which non-nociceptive pain phenotypes are associated with higher concurrent disease activity scores. In this longitudinal study, we explored associations between pain phenotypes and long-term disease activity outcome in RA patients. Secondly, we explored whether pain phenotype is associated with comorbid conditions. Methods One hundred eighty established RA patients were classified with a nociceptive (61%) or a non-nociceptive (39%) pain phenotype, based on their responses to the painDETECT-questionnaire. Two years of clinical follow-up data on disease activity outcomes were collected. Information on comorbid diseases was derived from electronic patient files. Results Patients with a non-nociceptive pain phenotype showed higher mean disease activity scores (DAS28, 2.57; 95% CI, 2.37–2.77 vs. 2.11; 95% CI, 1.94–2.27; p < 0.001) and a twofold lower chance of achieving sustained DAS28 remission (OR = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.26–0.92; p = 0.020). Only the tender joint count and patient global health significantly differed between the pain phenotype groups. Patients with a non-nociceptive pain phenotype had more often been diagnosed with concurrent fibromyalgia (9.9% vs. 0.9%; p = 0.007) and other pain-associated comorbid diseases (52.1% vs. 35.8%; p = 0.030) compared with patients with a nociceptive pain phenotype. Conclusion This longitudinal study showed consistently worse long-term disease activity outcomes in RA patients with a non-nociceptive pain phenotype which appeared to be mainly due to differences in the subjective components of the disease activity score. Trial registration The DREAM cohort study is registered in the Netherlands Trial Register: NTR578.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 316-320
Author(s):  
Mir Amir Aghdashi ◽  
Seyedmostafa Seyedmardani ◽  
Sholeh Ghasemi ◽  
Zohre Khodamoradi

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is the most common type of chronic inflammatory arthritis with unknown etiology marked by a symmetric, peripheral polyarthritis. Calprotectin also can be used as a biomarker of disease activity in inflammatory arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Objective: In this study, we evaluated the association between serum calprotectin level and severity of RA activity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 44 RA patients with disease flare-up. Serum samples were obtained from all patients to measure calprotectin, ESR, CRP prior to starting the treatment and after treatment period in the remission phase. Based on Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), disease activity was calculated. Results: Of 44 RA patients, 9(20.5%) were male and 35(79.5%) were female. The mean age of our cases was 53±1.6 years. Seventeen (38.6%) patients had moderate DAS28 and 27(61.4%) had high DAS28. The average level of calprotectin in the flare-up phase was 347.12±203.60 ng/ml and 188.04±23.58 ng/ml in the remission phase. We did not find any significant association between calprotectin and tender joint count (TJC; P=0.22), swollen joint count (SJC; P=0.87), and general health (GH; P=0.59), whereas significant associations were found between the calprotectin level and ESR (p=0.001) and DAS28 (p=0.02). The average calprotectin level in moderate DAS28 (275.21±217.96 ng/ml) was significantly lower than that in high DAS28 (392.4±183.88 ng/ml) (p=0.05). Conclusion: We showed that the serum level of calprotectin can be a useful and reliable biomarker in RA activity and its severity. It also can predict treatment response.


RMD Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. e001372
Author(s):  
Sella Aarrestad Provan ◽  
Brigitte Michelsen ◽  
Joseph Sexton ◽  
Tillmann Uhlig ◽  
Hilde Berner Hammer

ObjectivesTo define fatigue trajectories in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who initiate biological DMARD (bDMARD) treatment, and explore baseline predictors for a trajectory of continued fatigue.MethodsOne-hundred and eighty-four patients with RA initiating bDMARDs were assessed at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months. Swollen and tender joint counts, patient reported outcomes (PROMs), blood samples and ultrasound examinations were collected at each time point. Fatigue was assessed by the fatigue Numeric Rating Scale (0–10) from the Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease (RAID) questionnaire. Clinically significant fatigue was predefined as fatigue ≥4. Three trajectories of interest were defined according to level of RAID fatigue: no fatigue (≤3 at 5/6 visits), improved fatigue (≥4 at start, but ≤3 at follow-up) and continued fatigue (≥4 at 5/6 visits). Baseline variables were compared between groups by bivariate analyses, and logistic regression models were used to explore baseline predictors of continued vs improved fatigue.ResultsThe majority of patients starting bDMARD therapy followed one of three fatigue trajectories, (no fatigue; n=61, improved; n=33 and continued fatigue; n=53). Patients with continued fatigue were more likely to be anti–citrullinated protein antibody and/or rheumatoid factor positive and had higher baseline PROMs compared to the other groups, while there were no differences between the groups for variables of inflammation including. Patient global, tender joint count and anxiety were predictors for the continued fatigue trajectory.DiscussionA trajectory of continued fatigue was determined by PROMs and not by inflammatory RA disease activity.


2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 2635-2641 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENNIFER L. BARTON ◽  
LINDSEY A. CRISWELL ◽  
RACHEL KAISER ◽  
YEA-HUNG CHEN ◽  
DEAN SCHILLINGER

Objective.Patient self-report outcomes and physician-performed joint counts are important measures of disease activity and treatment response. This metaanalysis examines the degree of concordance in joint counts between trained assessors and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods.Studies eligible for inclusion met the following criteria: English language; compared patient with trained assessor joint counts; peer-reviewed; and RA diagnosis determined by board-certified or board-eligible specialist or met 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria. We searched PubMed and Embase to identify articles between 1966 and January 1, 2008. We compared measures of correlation between patients and assessors for either tender/painful or swollen joint counts. We used metaanalysis methods to calculate summary correlation estimates.Results.We retrieved 462 articles and 18 were included. Self-report joint counts were obtained by a text and/or mannequin (picture) format. The summary estimates for the Pearson correlation coefficients for tender joint counts were 0.61 (0.47 lower, 0.75 upper) and for swollen joint counts 0.44 (0.15, 0.73). Summary results for the Spearman correlation coefficients were 0.60 (0.30, 0.90) for tender joint counts and 0.54 (0.35, 0.73) for swollen joint counts.Conclusion.A self-report tender joint count has moderate to marked correlation with those performed by a trained assessor. In contrast, swollen joint counts demonstrate lower levels of correlation. Future research should explore whether integrating self-report tender joint counts into routine care can improve efficiency and quality of care, while directly involving patients in assessment of RA disease activity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 246-252
Author(s):  
Yunus Durmaz ◽  
Ilker Ilhanli

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a systemic disease of unknown etiology, which can cause widespread musculoskeletal pain. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), FM can cause an additional symptom burden, which can affect some variables on the RA disease activity score 28 (DAS28), a tool that evaluates 28 joints in RA patients. OBJECTIVE: Compare the results of four different versions of the DAS28 and the parameters used to determine disease activity scores in RA patients with and without FM, and determine whether there are treatment differences between RA patients with and without FM. DESIGN: Retrospective, cross-sectional. SETTING: Tertiary hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified patients diagnosed with RA between 1 September 2016 and 1 February 2020 and identified patients with and without FM. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences between variables in the DAS28 calculations (tender joint count [TJC], patient global assessment [PGA], and others), between patients with and without FM, and differences between patients with and without FM who were using or not using biological agents. SAMPLE SIZE: 381, including 322 females (84.5%). RESULTS: The frequency of FM in RA patients was 25.7% (89 females, 24.6%). In RA patients with FM, the TJC and PGA median values were significantly higher than in patients without FM ( P <.05). The use of corticosteroids and biological therapy in patients with FM was more frequent than in patients without FM ( P <.05). Compared to patients without FM, patients with FM switched treatment more often because of non-response to treatment ( P =.01) Median values of the DAS28 scores (calculated by four different versions of the instrument) in RA patients with FM were higher than in patients without FM ( P <.05). CONCLUSION: The presence of FM in RA patients may affect the subjective variables in different versions of DAS28 scores, causing the disease activity to score higher on the instrument, erroneously indicating worse disease than is actually present. LIMITATIONS: A single center, retrospective study. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: None.


2010 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pernille Bøyesen ◽  
Espen A Haavardsholm ◽  
Mikkel Østergaard ◽  
Désirée van der Heijde ◽  
Sølve Sesseng ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo determine whether MRI and conventional (clinical and laboratory) measures of inflammation can predict 3-year radiographic changes measured by the van der Heijde Sharp score in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods55 patients with RA with disease duration <1 year participated in this 3-year follow-up study. Patients were evaluated at baseline, 3, 6, 12 and 36 months by swollen and tender joint count, disease activity score based on 28-joint count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein, MRI measures of synovitis, bone marrow oedema and tenosynovitis of the dominant wrist, as well as conventional x-rays of the hands and wrists.ResultsAll measures of inflammation decreased during the follow-up period. ESR, MRI synovitis and MRI bone marrow oedema were independent predictors of 3-year radiographic progression adjusted for age, sex and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies. The 1-year cumulative measures of MRI synovitis and bone marrow oedema provided an improved explanation of variation (adjusted R2) in radiographic change compared with the baseline MRI values (adjusted R2=0.32 and 0.20 vs 0.11 and 0.04, respectively).ConclusionsBoth baseline and 1-year cumulative measures of MRI synovitis and bone marrow oedema independently predicted 3-year radiographic progression. These results confirm that MRI synovitis and MRI bone marrow oedema precede radiographic progression in patients with early RA.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimeng Xue ◽  
Liling Xu ◽  
Huaqun Zhu ◽  
Mingxin Bai ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Monocytes as precursors of osteoclasts in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are well demonstrated, while monocyte subsets in osteoclast formation are still controversial. Tyro3 tyrosine kinase (Tyro3TK) is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family involved in immune homeostasis, the role of which in osteoclast differentiation was reported recently. This study aimed to compare the osteoclastic capacity of CD14+CD16+ and CD14+CD16− monocytes in RA and determine the potential involvement of Tyro3TK in their osteoclastogenesis. Methods Osteoclasts were induced from CD14+CD16+ and CD14+CD16− monocyte subsets isolated from healthy control (HC) and RA patients in vitro and evaluated by tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. Then, the expression of Tyro3TK on CD14+CD16+ and CD14+CD16− monocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of RA, osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and HC were evaluated by flow cytometry and qPCR, and their correlation with RA patient clinical and immunological features was analyzed. The role of Tyro3TK in CD14+CD16− monocyte-mediated osteoclastogenesis was further investigated by osteoclast differentiation assay with Tyro3TK blockade. Results The results revealed that CD14+CD16− monocytes were the primary source of osteoclasts. Compared with HC and OA patients, the expression of Tyro3TK on CD14+CD16− monocytes in RA patients was significantly upregulated and positively correlated with the disease manifestations, such as IgM level, tender joint count, and the disease activity score. Moreover, anti-Tyro3TK antibody could inhibit Gas6-mediated osteoclast differentiation from CD14+CD16− monocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions These findings indicate that elevated Tyro3TK on CD14+CD16− monocytes serves as a critical signal for osteoclast differentiation in RA.


2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 2469-2474 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPHER PEASE ◽  
JANET E. POPE ◽  
CARTER THORNE ◽  
BOULOS PAUL HARAOUI ◽  
DON TRUONG ◽  
...  

Objective.We compared variations among Canadian provinces in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) initiating anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy.Methods.Data were obtained from the Optimization of Humira trial (OH) and from the Ontario Biologics Research Initiative (OBRI). Baseline characteristics were compared between regions: Ontario (ON), Quebec (QC), and other provinces (OTH). We compared Ontario OH to OBRI patients who were initiating anti-TNF therapy.Results.In 300 OH patients, mean age was 54.8 years (13.3). There were 151 (50.3%) ON patients, 57 from QC (19%), and 92 from OTH (30.7%). Regional differences were seen in the number of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) ever taken (ON: 3.8 ± 1.4, QC: 3.1 ± 1.1, OTH: 3.3 ± 1.4; p < 0.001); swollen joint count (SJC; ON: 10.9 ± 5.9, QC: 9.0 ± 4.4, OTH: 11.3 ± 5.6; p = 0.033); tender joint count (TJC; ON: 12.2 ± 7.5, QC: 10.3 ± 5.7, OTH: 14.4 ± 7.6; p = 0.003); 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28; ON: 5.8 ± 1.2, QC: 5.6 ± 1.0, OTH: 6.0 ± 1.1; p = 0.076); and Health Assessment Questionnaire (ON: 1.4 ± 0.7, QC: 1.7 ± 0.7, OTH: 1.5 ± 0.7; p = 0.060). DMARD-ever use differed: methotrexate (ON: 94.7%, QC: 93%, OTH: 84.8%; p = 0.025); leflunomide (ON: 74.8%, QC: 21.1%, OTH: 51.1%; p < 0.001); sulfasalazine (ON: 51%, QC: 38.6%, OTH: 25%; p < 0.001); myochrysine (ON: 9.3%, QC: 0%, OTH: 15.2%; p = 0.008); and hydroxychloroquine (ON: 67.5%, QC: 86%, OTH: 66.3%; p = 0.018). In comparison to ON OH patients, 95 OBRI patients initiating first anti-TNF had lower SJC (p = 0.017), TJC (p = 0.008), and DAS28 (p = 0.05).Conclusion.In Quebec, where access to anti-TNF is less restrictive, patients had lower SJC and TJC. ON used more DMARD, especially leflunomide, as mandated by the provincial government. Both provincial funding criteria and prescribing habits may contribute to differences. Canadian rheumatologists may vary in treatment decisions, but patients generally have similar DAS28 when initiating anti-TNF therapy.


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