ABSTRACT
Objective@#The increase in mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) is well known. However, there are few studies on serum markers that can evaluate acute exacerbation or prognosis in RA-ILD patients. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between biomarkers and lung lesions in patients with RA-ILD. @*Methods@#We analyzed 153 patients with serum samples in a prospective, multicenter cohort of Korean RA-ILD patients. The serum levels of biomarkers, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-7), surfactant protein-D (SP-D), and Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) were measured and correlated with forced vital capacity (FVC), diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and the results of computed tomography (CT). CT results were interpreted semi-quantitatively according to the extent of lung lesions (grade 1, 0%∼ 25%; grade 2, 26%∼50%; grade 3, 51%∼75%; grade 4, 76%∼100%). @*Results@#MMP-7, SP-D, and KL-6 were negatively correlated with FVC (MMP-7, r=−0.267, p=0.001; SP-D, r=−0.250, p=0.002; KL-6, r=−0.223, p=0.006) and DLCO (MMP-7, r=−0.404, p＜0.001; SP-D, r=−0.286, p=0.001; KL-6, r=−0.226, p=0.007). In addition, MMP-7, SP-D, and KL-6 tended to increase with higher grades of lung lesions on CT (MMP-7, p=0.013; SP-D, p＜0.001; KL-6, p＜0.001). @*Conclusion@#MMP-7, SP-D, and KL-6 can be used to evaluate the functional and anatomical status of lung involvement in the RA-ILD patients.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#The increase in mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) is well known. However, there are few studies on serum markers that can evaluate acute exacerbation or prognosis in RA-ILD patients. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between biomarkers and lung lesions in patients with RA-ILD. @*Methods@#We analyzed 153 patients with serum samples in a prospective, multicenter cohort of Korean RA-ILD patients. The serum levels of biomarkers, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-7), surfactant protein-D (SP-D), and Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) were measured and correlated with forced vital capacity (FVC), diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and the results of computed tomography (CT). CT results were interpreted semi-quantitatively according to the extent of lung lesions (grade 1, 0%∼ 25%; grade 2, 26%∼50%; grade 3, 51%∼75%; grade 4, 76%∼100%). @*Results@#MMP-7, SP-D, and KL-6 were negatively correlated with FVC (MMP-7, r=−0.267, p=0.001; SP-D, r=−0.250, p=0.002; KL-6, r=−0.223, p=0.006) and DLCO (MMP-7, r=−0.404, p＜0.001; SP-D, r=−0.286, p=0.001; KL-6, r=−0.226, p=0.007). In addition, MMP-7, SP-D, and KL-6 tended to increase with higher grades of lung lesions on CT (MMP-7, p=0.013; SP-D, p＜0.001; KL-6, p＜0.001). @*Conclusion@#MMP-7, SP-D, and KL-6 can be used to evaluate the functional and anatomical status of lung involvement in the RA-ILD patients.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this predictive study was to identify factors affecting health related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The participants in this study were 131 patients with RA who were recruited from the outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Seoul. Disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis was evaluated by calculating the Disease Activity Score 28. Disability in activities of daily living (ADL) was assessed with the Korean Health Assessment Questionnaire, and depression with The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. HRQoL was evaluated using The Short Form 36 Health Survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: Pain, disability in ADL, disease activity, and depression correlated negatively with physical and mental dimensions of HRQoL. But hierachical multiple regression analysis revealed that disability in ADL and depression were the only variables negatively influencing physical and mental QoL after adjustment for influences of sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that disability in ADL and depression, rather than disease activity and pain have profound effects on HRQoL in patients with RA. Further studies are needed to assess the predictive ability of disease activity and pain on HRQoL in this population.