Bradford CM, McDonnell T, Raj D, Robinson GA, Cole A, Ramakrishnan S, González-Serrano R, Mak J, Eskiocak YC, Isenberg DA, Ciurtin C, Jury EC, Manson JJ. Characterization of a Subset of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis for Whom Current Management Strategies are Inadequate.
ACR Open Rheumatol 2019;
1:145-155. [PMID:
31777790 PMCID:
PMC6857995 DOI:
10.1002/acr2.1021]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective
A subset of patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) do not mount a C‐reactive protein (CRP) response during flares. We hypothesize that these patients are more likely to experience poor clinical care and less likely to respond to traditional therapy. This study questioned whether this presentation was associated with worse disease outcome and distinct immunological features.
Methods
Using Power Doppler ultrasound, 48 RA patients with active synovitis were recruited; 30 had normal (n)CRP (5 mg/L or less) and 18 had high (h)CRP (more than 5 mg/L) levels. All had equivalent disease burden assessed by other clinical and laboratory parameters.
Results
Time to diagnosis and time to first disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug were significantly longer in nCRP compared with hCRP patients (P < 0.05). Significantly more nCRP patients needed escalation to biologics after 2‐year follow‐up (P = 0.01). The inflammatory milieu was also different between the two subgroups. Synergy between inflammatory cytokines observed in hCRP patients was lost in nCRP patients, and nCRP patients had significantly increased regulatory T‐cell (Treg) frequencies that correlated positively with predictors of poor disease outcome. Conversely, hCRP but not nCRP patients demonstrated a significant upregulation of alternative complement pathway factors that correlated negatively with Treg frequency.
Conclusion
Patients with nCRP during flares of RA had an altered immunological profile compared with hCRP patients and experienced diagnostic delays and responded less favorably to conventional treatment.
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