Modified disease activity scores that include twenty-eight-joint counts development and validation in a prospective longitudinal study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

✍ Scribed by M. L. L. Prevoo; M. A. Van'T Hof; H. H. Kuper; M. A. Van Leeuwen; L. B. A. Van De Putte; P. L. C. M. Van Riel

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 530 KB
• Volume: 38
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-3591
• DOI: 10.1002/art.1780380107

✦ Synopsis

Objective. The development and validation of Modified Disease Activity Scores (DAS) that include different 28-joint counts.

Methods. These scores were developed by canonical discriminant analyses and validated for criterion, correlational, and construct validity. The influence of disease duration on the composition of the DAS was also investigated.

Results. No influence of disease duration was found. The Modified DAS that included 28-joint counts were able to discriminate between high and low disease activity (as indicated by clinical decisions of rheumatologists).

Conclusion. The Modified DAS are as valid as disease activity scores that include more comprehensive joint counts.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is known to cause pain, disability, and joint destruction. Both in daily clinical practice and in clinical trials, many variables are recorded to monitor the course of the disease. Since an evaluation of disease activity by single variables leads to methodologic problems (1,2), several indices consisting of more than one variable have been developed (3-6). One of these indices is the Disease Activity Score Supported by "Het Nationaal Reumafonds.