[Correlation between carotid atheroma and DAS28 gamma GT score in rheumatoid arthritis in an African black...

To evaluate the correlation between the presence of carotid atherosclerosis and DAS28 gamma GT in rheumatoid arthritis in an African black population.

Descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study for diagnostic purposes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis meeting the 2010 ACR EULAR criteria. The DAS28-GGT score was calculated using the following formula: 0.56×√TJ - 28+0.28×√SJ - 28+2×ln(GGT)+0.14×GH. Two gold standards were used to test the correlation between the DAS28-GGT score and the World Health Organization (WHO) cardiovascular risk assessment score on the one hand, and the presence of carotid atheroma on supra-aortic Doppler ultrasound on the other.

Seventy-eight patients were included in the study. The mean age was 51.48±14.59 years. There were 65 (83.33%) women and 13 (16.67%) men, giving a sex ratio of 0.2. The mean duration of rheumatoid arthritis was 77.50±68.95 months. According to the WHO cardiovascular risk classification, the efficacy of DAS-GGT, for a threshold set at 7.5, was 55.93%; this efficacy for a threshold of 9 was 79.11% and the area under the ROC curve was 0.89. Based on the presence of carotid atherosclerosis, the effectiveness of DAS-GGT for a threshold of 7.5 was 37.5%; the effectiveness for a threshold of 9 was 79.43% and the area under the ROC curve was 0.9.

Our study provides further evidence of the usefulness of the DAS28-GGT score in predicting cardiovascular risk and carotid atherosclerotic risk. It can therefore be used in patients with RA for secondary prevention of atherosclerotic disease.