Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by autoimmune destruction of cartilage and bones, in which synovial hypertrophy is due to the infiltration of lymphocytes into synovial tissue and hyperproliferation of synovial fibroblasts. Calprotectin is involved in the pathophysiology of various pathological conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis. There is a direct association between calprotectin expression and systemic autoimmunity development.
Aim of the study: To measure calprotectin and musculoskeletal ultrasound in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and evaluate the illness activity.
Patients and Methods: The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were used to diagnose fifty patients with rheumatoid arthritis in this research. All patients in this research have been collected from the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Departments at Al Hussein and Bab El Sharia University Hospitals at Al-Azhar University in Cairo's outpatient clinics and inpatient units.
Results: There had been a statistically significant difference (p-value < 0.05) between study groups in terms of erythrocytic sedimentation rate and a statistically significant difference (p-value < 0.001) in terms of C reactive protein. Also, when it came to musculoskeletal ultrasound, there was a statistically significant difference (p-value < 0.001) between the groups tested. Calprotectin levels were found to differ statistically significantly (p-value < 0.001) between the groups tested.
Conclusion: There was a high level of calprotectin in patients having active rheumatoid arthritis, which was related to the musculoskeletal ultrasound finding, which might help us use it in the assessment of disease activity in rheumatoid patients.