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Fatigue is cross-sectionally not associated with objective assessments of inflammation, but changes in fatigue are associated with changes of disease activity assessments during biologic treatment of patients with established rheumatoid arthritis
- Source :
- Clinical Rheumatology
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Springer International Publishing, 2020.
-
Abstract
- ObjectiveThe associations between fatigue and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not been defined. The present objectives were to explore in RA patients the cross-sectional and longitudinal relation of fatigue with subjective as well as objective assessments of disease activity.MethodsRA patients were consecutively included when initiating biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and assessed at baseline, 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months with investigation of fatigue, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs; joint pain and patient’s global disease activity, MHAQ, pain catastrophizing, Mental Health score), clinical examinations (examiner’s global disease activity, 28 tender and swollen joint counts), and laboratory variables (ESR, CRP, calprotectin). Ultrasound examinations (semi-quantitative scoring (0–3)) with grey scale and power Doppler were performed of 36 joints and 4 tendons. Statistics included one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlations, and multiple linear and logistic regression analysis.ResultsA total of 208 RA patients (mean (SD) age 53.2 (13.2) years, disease duration 9.8 (8.5) years) were included. Fatigue levels diminished during follow-up (mean (SD) baseline/12 months; 4.8 (2.8)/3.0 (2.5) (p< 0.001)). Substantial correlations were cross-sectionally found between fatigue and PROMs (median (IQR) r=0.61 (0.52-0.71)) but not with the objective inflammatory assessments. During follow-up, baseline fatigue was associated with PROMs (p< 0.001) but not with objective inflammatory assessments. However, change of fatigue was associated with change in all variables. Higher baseline fatigue levels were associated with lower clinical composite score remission rates.ConclusionFatigue was cross-sectionally associated to subjective but not to objective disease assessments. However, change of fatigue during treatment was associated to all assessments of disease activity.Trial registration numberAnzctr.org.auidentifier ACTRN12610000284066, Norwegian Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics South East reference number 2009/1254Key Points•In this longitudinal study of patients with established RA, fatigue was associated with patient reported outcome measures at each visit, but not with objective assessments of inflammation including calprotectin and comprehensive ultrasound examinations.•Changes in fatigue during biological treatment were associated with changes in patient reported outcome measures, clinical, laboratory and ultrasound assessments.•Baseline fatigue was associated with all patient reported outcome measures, but not objective assessments of inflammation at all the prospective visits.•Higher baseline fatigue levels were associated with lower remission rates as assessed by clinical composite scores.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
medicine.medical_specialty
Disease
Logistic regression
Severity of Illness Index
Arthritis, Rheumatoid
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Rheumatology
Internal medicine
Ultrasound
medicine
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Prospective Studies
Rheumatoid arthritis
Fatigue
030203 arthritis & rheumatology
Inflammation
Biological Products
business.industry
General Medicine
Middle Aged
medicine.disease
030104 developmental biology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Joint pain
Antirheumatic Agents
Pain catastrophizing
Original Article
Analysis of variance
Calprotectin
medicine.symptom
business
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14349949 and 07703198
- Volume :
- 40
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Clinical Rheumatology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....78d37d370ebadad3cf27bf33d7dce597