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Disease Activity Score 28 as an Instrument to Measure Disease Activity in Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis HEIDI MÄKINEN, HANNU KAUTIAINEN, PEKKA HANNONEN, TIMO MÖTTÖNEN, MARKKU KORPELA, MARJATTA LEIRISALO-REPO, REIJO LUUKKAINEN, KARI PUOLAKKA, ANNA KARJALAINEN, and TUULIKKI SOKKA
ABSTRACT. Methods. The effect of each component was studied in the FIN-RACo trial patients at 6 months and in a "theoretical model," where each component of the DAS28 ranged as follows: TJC and SJC from 0 to 28, GH from 0 to 100, and ESR from 1 to 100, while the other 3 components were 0 (ESR1). Overlapping of the components was studied in the FIN-RACo trial patients at 6 months with low (DAS28 ≤ 3.2), moderate (DAS28 > 3.2 and ≤ 5.1), and high (DAS28 > 5.1) disease activity. The higher limit for overlapping was defined as the highest SJC in the low disease activity group, and the lower limit as the lowest SJC in the high disease activity group; the percentage of patients who fall between these limits represent overlapping in SJC. Overlapping was calculated similarly concerning TJC, ESR, and GH. Results. ESR had the greatest effect on DAS28, followed by TJC, GH, and SJC, while in the "theoretical model" TJC had the greatest effect on the DAS28, followed by ESR, SJC, and GH. At 6 months, overlapping was present in 54%, 45%, 49%, and 31% of patients in SJC, TJC, GH, and ESR, respectively. Conclusion. In real-life patients, ESR had the greatest effect of the 4 components of DAS28 on the total DAS28 score. The values of the individual components of DAS28 overlap considerably among the 3 disease activity groups. (First Release July 1 2007; J Rheumatol 2007;34:1987-91) Key Indexing Terms:
DISEASE ACTIVITY SCORE 28
From Jyväskylä Central Hospital, Jyväskylä, Finland. H. Mäkinen, MD; P. Hannonen, MD, PhD; T. Sokka, MD, PhD, Jyväskylä Central Hospital, Jyväskylä; H. Kautiainen, BA, Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola; T. Möttönen, MD, PhD, Turku University Hospital, Turku; M. Korpela, MD, PhD, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere; M. Leirisalo-Repo, MD, PhD, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki; R. Luukkainen, MD, PhD, Satalinna Hospital, Rauma; K. Puolakka, MD, PhD, Lappeenranta Central Hospital, Lappeenranta; A. Karjalainen, MD, PhD, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. Address reprint requests to Dr. H. Mäkinen, Jyväskylä Central Hospital, Keskussairaalantie 19, 40620 Jyväskylä, Finland. E-mail: heidi.makinen@ksshp.fi Accepted for publication April 16, 2007. |
