ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical value of transthyretin (TTR) from patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA). Methods 58 patients with ERA , 34 patients with later RA (LRA) and 34 healthy control (HC) were included in the research. TTR was analyzed by ELISA, whose variance was analyzed. TTR density, disease activity score28 (DAS28) score and rheumatoid factor (RF) were tested, and their correlation with TTR was analyzed. Results Serum level of TTR with ERA significantly increased compared with that with LRA and HC (P < 0.05), no statistical significance with LRA group and HC. TTR level was no correlation with the number of swelling and tender joints, disease activity score 28, RF, ESR, CRP, anti-cyclic citrylinated peptide antibody and anti-keratin antibodies, hemoglobin, thrombocyte and albumin. Conclusion Serum level of TTR significantly increased with ERA patients, contributing to early diagnosis for RA.