| pubmed-article:7704460 | pubmed:abstractText | This study compares functional changes to change in measures of disease activity following the introduction of slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs (SAARD) in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Clinical and laboratory variables were simultaneously monitored at 6-monthly intervals, over approximately 18 months. Function was measured by a performance testing, the Keitel function index (KFI), which was divided into sections representing small and large joints [hand (HFI); wrist (WFI) and limb function index (LFI)]. One-hundred-and-fifteen patients were studied, of whom 21 were male. The mean age of the subjects was 49 yr (S.D. +/- 12) and mean duration of disease 7 yr (S.D. +/- 7). The mean KFI at entry was 38 (S.D. +/- 18) while at the end of the study it was 31 (S.D. +/- 17) (P < 0.0001). The change in KFI following therapy correlated with the change in Ritchie articular index (RAI) (r = 0.4; P < 0.0001), early morning stiffness (EMS) (r = 0.3; P = 0.004), swollen joint count (JC) (r = 0.4; P = 0.0005), C-reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.2; P < 0.05) and Lansbury systemic index (LSI) (r = 0.35; P = 0.002), but not with change in Westergren erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or change in time to onset of fatigue. Multiple regression analysis showed that 32% of the variation in KFI at the end of the study could be predicted by a combination of ESR, sulphasalazine therapy, RAI, disease duration and chloroquine treatment at onset (P < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | lld:pubmed |
