Laboratory examination is a great value to confirm a diagnosis and estimate disease activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). Since little research related to the diagnosis of RA and AS has been done in Iran, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnosis markers in patients with RA and AS.
This study was conducted among 104 patients with RA and 42 patients with AS in Iran during 2016. Inclusion criteria were according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) criteria. Five mL blood samples were collected from all patients. Laboratory studies consisted of ESR and anti-CCP tests and also determination of the presence of RF and CRP in these patients. Finally, the statistical analysis test was conducted using SPSS version 16.0.
The study patients with RA included 23 males (22.1%) and 81 females (77.9%) with the average age of 50.25 ± 14.34. In RA patients, 82.7% were RF positive and 17.3% were negative. Also, 49% were CRP positive and 51% were negative. The mean ESR in RA patients was 27.76 ± 20.17 mm/hour. The mean levels of anti-CCP were 109.15 ± 90.55 IU/mL. The mean ages of 42 patients with AS, including 30 male (71.4%) and 12 females (28.6%), were 38.69 ± 11.82 years. Among them, 24 patients (57.1%) were positive for CRP and 18 patients (42.9%) were negative. Only 2 patients (4.8%) were RF positive. 24 patients (57.1%) were positive for HLA-B27 and 18 patients (42.9%) were negative. The mean levels of ESR in AS patients were 30.30 ± 26.98 mm/hour.
Early diagnosis of the Rheumatoid arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis can help to prevent complications and its progression and help patients to recover more quickly.