Evaluation of clinical and Para clinical findings, treatment response in RA patients: Data from a single center RA registry

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by the inflammatory arthritis rheumatoid factor (RF: An IgM produced against anti-immunoglobulin G) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) autoantibodies. In the present study, the aim was to register RA patients in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The study population of this research was RA patients referred to the rheumatology clinic in 2019 at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran and had been diagnosed 5 years ago. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory information of patients at the beginning of referral at 3 months, and 1, 2, 3, and 4 years after referral, were carefully recorded in each patient questionnaire. In the first visit, 79 RA patients were examined and in the other 5 visits, 73, 52, 33, 20, 13 patients, respectively, were examined totaling the 270 visits. RF and anti-CCP were positive in 58.22% and 62.02% of patients, respectively. The mean age of patients was 52.5±11.25 years. The results of the present study showed that the mean morning stiffness, DAS, arthritis, arthralgia, ESR, and CRP decreased from the second visit through the following five visits which indicated disease control. Clinical and laboratory data showed considarable disease control, however, relapse of disease was seen due to drug discontinuation. Registering the disease makes it possible to record the necessary information of each patient, including demographic, clinical, and paraclinical findings as well as consultations, and gives the physician accurate access to patient information and unnecessary duplication of paraclinical examinations.