ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

Abstract Number: 1534

Disease Severity and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Comparative Study Between Sudan and Sweden

Amir Elshafie1, Abdalla D Elkhalifa2, Thomas Weitoft3, Musa Nur4, Elnour Elagib5, Mawahib Aledrissy6, Sahwa Elbagir7 and Johan Rönnelid8, 1Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, MD, MDpath, PhD, Uppsala, Sweden, 2Rheumatology unit, MD, Gävle, Sweden, 3Rheumatology unit, MD, PhD, Gävle, Sweden, 4Alribat University Hospital, MD, FRCP, Khartoum, Sudan, 5Rheumatology unit, Alribat University Hospital, MD, FRCP, Khartoum, Sudan, 6Rheumatology unit, Alribat University Hospital, MD, MD internal Medicine, Khartoum, Sudan, 7Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, M, PhD student, Uppsala, Sweden, 8Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Meeting: 2014 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Keywords:

Session Information

Title: Rheumatoid Arthritis - Small Molecules, Biologics and Gene Therapy: Novel therapies, Biosimilars, Strategies and Mechanisms in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Session Type: Abstract Submissions (ACR)

Background/Purpose:

To perform a comparative study concerning clinical characteristics and treatment between Sudanese and Swedish RA outpatients. 

Methods:

A 286 Sudanese and 542 Swedish RA outpatients diagnosed according to 1987 ACR classification criteria were recruited between December 2008 and September 2010 and compared concerning clinical presentation, treatment and laboratory findings including IgM RF.

Results:

Age at inclusion, disease duration and median age at disease onset were all significantly lower among the Sudanese patients (p <0.0001). When stratified concerning age of inclusion, Swedish patients between 41-50 years had however a significantly lower age of onset, with a similar trend for all age groups above 30 years. Levels of ESR and number of affected joints were significantly higher among Sudanese RA patients. The proportion of IgM RF positivity was significantly lower among Sudanese RA patients (p<0.0001). Higher proportions of Sudanese RA patients were treated with methotrexate and DMARD combinations but none of them on biologics. Sudanese patient used lower doses of methotrexate and sulfasalazine (p <0.0001) and higher doses of prednisolone (p <0.0001) than Swedish patients. The female preponderance was more striking among Sudanese patients (p <0.0001), although smoking was non-existent among the Sudanese female RA patients (p<0.0001).

Conclusion:

Sudanese RA patients have significantly higher disease activity and are often IgM RF seronegative. Together with reports from Uganda and Cameroon our data indicate a cluster of highly active seronegative RA in central Africa.

Disclosure:

A. Elshafie,
None;

A. D Elkhalifa,
None;

T. Weitoft,
None;

M. Nur,
None;

E. Elagib,
None;

M. Aledrissy,
None;

S. Elbagir,
None;

J. Rönnelid,
None.

« Back to 2014 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/disease-severity-and-treatment-of-rheumatoid-arthritis-a-comparative-study-between-sudan-and-sweden/