Racial and Ethnic Differences in a Biochemical Marker of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Health Disparities
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Racial and ethnic disparities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity have been previously documented.
• Objective assessment of these disparities is crucial for equitable patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare racial and ethnic differences in RA disease activity.
• To evaluate the utility of the multi-biochemical disease activity (MBDA) score in assessing these disparities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the University of California, San Francisco RA Cohort.
• Employed multivariable linear regression to analyze associations between race/ethnicity and MBDA scores, adjusting for confounders.
• Conducted sensitivity analyses using Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and DAS28-ESR.

Main Results:

• Included 267 participants; majority were Latinx (51%) and Asian (34%).
• Adjusted analyses revealed Latinx participants had the highest mean MBDA score compared to White participants.
• Trends for CDAI and DAS28-ESR mirrored MBDA findings, with some significant differences for Asian and Black participants depending on the measure.

Conclusions:

• Significantly higher RA disease activity, measured by MBDA and DAS28-ESR, was observed in Latinx compared to White participants.
• Higher disease activity was also noted in Asian participants using DAS28-ESR.
• Findings suggest RA disease activity measures may be influenced by external factors with differential impacts across racial and ethnic groups.