Analysis of Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Yunnan: A Small-Scale Case-Control Study

To study the risk factors of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Yunnan and provide reference for its clinical prevention and treatment.

From January 2014 to February 2022, a total of 249 RA patients who were admitted to the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province were selected and 149 healthy people were selected as the controls. The medical records, clinical data of blood test results of anticyclic citrullinated polypeptide (anti-CCP) antibody, antikeratin antibody (AKA), and antiperinuclear factor (APF) were collected. Logistic regression and receiver operating curve (ROC) were used to analyze the correlation between blood anti-CCP antibody, AKA, and APF and the occurrence of RA.

Univariate analysis showed that the age, proportion of hypertension, and diabetes patients in RA patients were significantly different from those in the control group (p < 0.05), but there was no statistical difference in sex (p > 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of the serum anti-CCP antibody level in the diagnosis of RA was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.72-0.81, p < 0.01), the sensitivity was 85.23%, the specificity was 61.45%, and the cutoff value was 18.07AU/mL. The positive rates of AKA (33.73%) and APF (43.37%) in the RA patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (4.03% and 6.04%), and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, and diabetes, logistic regression analysis showed that anti-CCP positivity, AKA positive, and APF positive were all independent risk factors for RA (OR = 20.24, 95% CI: 9.36-43.77, p < 0.01; OR = 4.33, 95% CI: 1.62-11.60, p < 0.01; OR = 5.28, 95% CI: 2.33-11.99, p < 0.01).

Anti-CCP positive, AKA positive, and APF positive are independent risk factors for the occurrence of RA. Serum anti-CCP level has high sensitivity but low specificity in the diagnosis of RA.