Abstract
Purpose The present study investigated the relationship between dry eye and the disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Patients with RA were divided by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) into the symptomatic group (score ≥ 12) and the asymptomatic group (score < 12). By using the Disease Activity Score (DAS-28) questionnaire, they were divided into the active group (score > 2.6) and the stable group (score ≤ 2.6). In the control group, 20 healthy adults with matched sex and age were selected. RA patients and healthy adults were inspected for the tear film break time (TBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), meibomian scan (MS), meibomian gland secretion score (MSS), and eyelid margin assessment (EMS). Results The TBUT of the RA group was significantly less than that of the control group, while the CFS, MS, EMS, and MSS were higher. The TBUT of the symptomatic RA group was significantly less than that of the asymptomatic group, and the CFS was higher. In the active RA group, only the CFS was higher than that of the stable group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups for other parameters. Furthermore, there was no significant correlation between the course of RA and the dry eye (P > 0.05). Conclusion The rheumatoid activity does not necessarily lead to an aggravation of dry eye. Regardless of the duration, RA was not found to exhibit relation with the severity of dry eye. Translational Relevance. RA patients with disease active period cannot be ignored for the existence of dry eye, since patients with dry eye often lack the signs and symptoms.
Highlights
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease and characterized by joint synovitis and multiple symmetric small and large joint lesions
The prevalence of RA goes on increasing with age; there is no sufficient evidence to suggest that the incidence changes with age. e severity of RA with age, disease activity, and extra-articular manifestations has decreased, which may be related to new treatments, drugs, and other factors [8,9,10]
A total of 30 adult RA patients were recruited from the Xiamen Eye Center, affiliated to the Xiamen University, between October 2016 and December 2018, which were selected on the following basis: (1) patients who came to the hospital for medical treatment; (2) community screening for cataract; (3) social recruitment using the Internet
Summary
E present study investigated the relationship between dry eye and the disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients with RA were divided by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) into the symptomatic group (score ≥ 12) and the asymptomatic group (score < 12). E TBUT of the RA group was significantly less than that of the control group, while the CFS, MS, EMS, and MSS were higher. E TBUT of the symptomatic RA group was significantly less than that of the asymptomatic group, and the CFS was higher. In the active RA group, only the CFS was higher than that of the stable group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups for other parameters. E rheumatoid activity does not necessarily lead to an aggravation of dry eye. RA patients with disease active period cannot be ignored for the existence of dry eye, since patients with dry eye often lack the signs and symptoms
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