Simplified disease activity index and clinical disease activity index before and during pregnancy correlate with those at postpartum in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Objectives

We explored rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity before, during, and after pregnancy in patients treated with tight control and investigated the association between disease activity in the postpartum period and those before and during pregnancy.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed disease activity and medications of 27 patients before pregnancy, at every trimester, and in the postpartum period.

Results

Prednisolone was administered to 33% of patients with a median dose of 0 (0–2.5) mg/day and biologic agents was 78% in the third trimester. The median remission rates during all periods were the Disease Activity Score-28-C-reactive Protein assessed with three variables (DAS28-CRP-3) 85%, Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) 55%, and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) 54%. Although SDAI and CDAI decreased significantly from before pregnancy to the first trimester and increased from the third trimester to the postpartum period, DAS28-CRP-3 did not change during all periods. Although SDAI and CDAI before and during pregnancy were significantly correlated with those in the postpartum period, DAS28-CRP-3 was not.

Conclusions

Tight control before pregnancy suppressed RA disease activity during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. SDAI/CDAI before and during pregnancy were predictive for disease activity in the postpartum period.

Keywords:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• pregnancy
• disease activity
• tight control
• preconception

Conflict of interest

None.