Does Osteoarthritis Diagnosis Affect Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Scores?

Researchers evaluated whether having osteoarthritis of the hand or knee influenced the clinical, biological, and ultrasound parameters used to evaluate disease activity in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Findings were presented by Teodora Serban, MD, from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, Romania, and colleagues during the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, and Musculoskeletal Diseases held in Florence, Italy March 23-26, 2017.

The study evaluated patients with early RA referred to a specialized clinic in Romania for RA treatment. A total of 43 patients were enrolled in the study between 2010 and 2016. Eligible patients fulfilled European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR) 2010 criteria for RA and had experienced symptoms for less than 12 months.

Disease Activity Scores (DAS28) were significantly higher at baseline (P =.018) and at 12-month follow-up (P =.031) in a group of patients (n=9) with knee osteoarthritis. A separate cohort with hand osteoarthritis (n=15) from the same study did not demonstrate significantly higher DAS28 scores.

The parameters measured by the study, including the DAS28, Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), patient’s and physician’s Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and ultrasound scores, were not influenced by the presence of hand osteoarthritis (P >.05 for all).

“The values of patient’s VAS were not influenced by the presence of hand or knee osteoarthritis, suggesting that these types of osteoarthritis do not influence the patient’ perception of the disease activity,” Dr Serban and colleagues wrote in their pre-event summary of their findings.

Reference 

Serban T, Satulu I, Istoc M, et al. The influence of osteoarthritis on clinical, biological, and ultrasound parameters of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Abstract P812. Presented at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, and Musculoskeletal Diseases, March 23-26, 2017, in Florence, Italy. 

This article originally appeared on Rheumatology Advisor