Correlation between Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and disease activity in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that may lead to disability due to joint deformities, so one of the priorities of treatment was to evaluate its severity and to find indicators and measurements to evaluate disease activity and remission, and several recent studies have shown a relationship between the activity of many chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and (RDW). There is a positive correlation between the disease activity and (RDW).

Aim of the study: to study the relationship between (RDW) and disease activity in a sample of rheumatoid arthritis patients in University Hospitals in Damascus and to compare it with a healthy cohort.

Materials and methods: a cross-sectional/case-control study was conducted of 135 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and a healthy cohort of 135 people from the University Hospitals in Damascus. (RDW) was compared between the two groups, and the value of (RDW) in patients was compared with disease activity after dividing them by using (DAS28-ESR) into four groups: remission, mild, moderate, and severe disease activity. The data was analyzed using the statistical analysis program(SPSS) version (25) and the variable was considered statistically significant when the P-Value is less than (0.05).

Results: The average age of patients and controls at Al-mawasat hospital was (44.5±13.87)and(41.40±16.41)years, respectively(P-Value=0.249), while the average age of patients and controls at al-Assad hospital was (49.7±15.57) and (50.7±9.78) years, respectively (P-Value=0.657). (RDW) was statistically significant higher in al assad hospital patient group (16.6±1.78%) compared to al Assad control Group (13.55±0.51%) P-Value≤0.0001. In addition, (RDW) of al Mowasat hospital patients (15.6±2.54%) was significantly higher than al Mowasat hospital controls (13.55±1.08%) and P-Value≤0.0001. The study has shown a positive correlation between (RDW) and (DAS28-ESR).

Conclusion: (RDW) is significantly higher in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to healthy people, and it is possible to use (RDW) as a disease activity predictor in rheumatoid arthritis in the presence or absence of anemia.