Relationship Between Disease Activation, Serum Erythrocyte Sediment Level and C-reactive Protein Level in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Receiving Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Treatment
Gulcin Gungor Olcum1, Fidan Canan Celik Yagan2, Ruhper Cekin3, Demet Ataman Tasan4, Mustafa Erdogan3, Mehmet Aliustaoglu51Department of Internal Medicine, University of Health Sciences Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, 2Family Doctor, University of Health Sciences Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, 3Department of Internal Medicine, University of Health Sciences Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, 4Department of Rheumatology, Medical Park Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, 5Department of Medical Oncology, University of Health Sciences Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey,
Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive, multisystemic disease with a course of chronic inflammation, and which is thought to be immune-originated, though the etiopathogenesis is not fully understood. Elimination of pain with adequate treatment is important in terms of preventing damage and systemic complications. As such, it is important to determine prognostic markers in the evaluation of disease activation. The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS 28), one of the disease activation indices, erythrocyte sediment rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level. Methods: A total of 93 patients who presented at the rheumatology polyclinic of Dr. Lütfi Kırdar Kartal Training and Research Hospital were included in the study. Of those, 46 were included in the study group (receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α] treatment), and 47 were included in the control group (not receiving anti-TNF-α treatment). The patients enrolled did not have any malignancy or other inflammatory disease. Patients included in the study were also screened for findings of anemia, polycythemia leukocytosis, or lymphocytosis. The DAS 28 score of the study patients was obtained from medical records. Biochemical analyses, as well as CRP and ESR measurements taken after 1 year, were recorded retrospectively. Results: A statistically significant relationship was observed between the DAS 28 score and ESR in patients who received anti-TNF-α treatment, while a statistically significant relationship was not found between the DAS 28 score and CRP level. There was no statistically significant relationship in RA patients between the DAS 28 score and ESR or CRP in those who did not receive anti-TNF-α treatment. Conclusion: According to these results, RA patients receiving anti-TNF- α treatment demonstrated a better ESR marker of disease activity in long-term follow-up.
Cite This Article
Gungor Olcum G, Celik Yagan F, Cekin R, Ataman Tasan D, Erdogan M, Aliustaoglu M. Relationship Between Disease Activation, Serum Erythrocyte Sediment Level and C-reactive Protein Level in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Receiving Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Treatment. EJMO. 2017; 1(2): 69-75
Corresponding Author: Gulcin Gungor Olcum