ObjectivesTo determine the prevalence of foot synovitis, and the most stringent disease activity index reflecting complete remission among patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Korea.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the Korean College of Rheumatology BIOlogics (KOBIO) registry. Foot arthritis defined as having one or more tender or swollen joints in ankle and/or 1st to 5th metatarsal joints. Functional status and disease activity evaluated by the routine assessment of patient index data3 (RAPID3), the disease activity score 28 ESR (DAS28), the simplified disease activity index (SDAI), the clinical disease activity index (CDAI), and the ACR/EULAR Boolean criteria.ResultsBaseline data of 2046 patients were analysed. Patients with foot arthritis showed significantly younger age at the diagnosis, longer disease, duration, higher DAS-28/SDAI/CDAI/RAPID-3, lower rate of ACR/EULAR Boolean criteria remission, use of higher dose of glucocorticoid, and higher rate of bone erosion not only on foot but also hand X-rays. Among those patients, 174 patients (8.5%) were in DAS 28 clinical remission. Twenty-one of 174 patients (12.1%) had foot arthritis, who showed higher swollen and tender joint count, RAPID-3 score, and patients’ global assessment but not physicians’ global assessment than those without foot arthritis. Among patients with foot arthritis, rate of complete remission was the highest in patients with CDAI (66.7%).ConclusionsIn patients with rheumatoid arthritis, foot and/or ankle arthritis is associated with high disease activity, not achieving complete remission despite of various clinical remission criteria and discordance between patients’ and physicians’ global assessment.Disclosure of InterestNone declared
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