C-reactive protein in the Serial Assessment of Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Authors:

Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured in 105 patients with rheumatoid arhtiritis (RA) during treatment with slow-acting anti-rheumatoid drugs D-penicillamine, alclofenac, hydroxychloroquine, gold, sulphasalazine and azathioprine. A control group treated with aspirin alone was also included. Patients were assessed clinically (pain score, articular index and summated change score) and in terms of acute-phase reactants (CRP, haptoglo-bin, fibrinogen, ESR and plasma viscosity) at eight separate clinic visits during the 6-month treatment period. The estimation of CRP was found to be more useful than haptoglobin, fibrinogen or ESR as an index of disease activity.

This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit: