Correlation Analysis Of Disease Activity And Ocular Surface Features In Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective:To evaluate the ocular surface characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA),compare the differences of ocular surface characteristics in patients with different disease activity,analyze the correlation between RA disease activity and ocular surface characteristics,and analyze the correlation between RA duration and ocular surface characteristics.Methods:Sixty patients(60 right eyes)with RA were collected from the Department of Rheumatology,the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from December 2021 to June 2022 as the disease observation group,and their course of the disease was recorded.At the same time,60 healthy subjects(60 right eyes)matched for age and gender were collected as the healthy control group.The patients were divided into active group(score>2.6)and stable group(score≤2.6)according to the 28-joint disease activity score.The following indexes were examined successively in all enrolled subjects:ocular surface disease index,tear meniscus height,non-invasive tear break-up time,corneal fluorescein staining score,meibomian gland deletion score,and eye red analysis.Results:There were statistically significant differences in ocular surface disease index,tear meniscus height,non-invasive tear break-up time,eye redness analysis,and corneal fluorescein staining score between the diseased observation group and the healthy control group(P<0.05),but there was no statistically significant difference in meibomian gland loss score(P>0.05).Active disease group and disease stabilization ocular surface disease index,tear meniscus height,non-invasive tear break-up time,corneal fluorescein staining scores,statistically significant difference(P<0.05),the envy of analysis and meibomian gland score is missing,there was no statistically significant difference(P>0.05).The disease activity of RA patients was negatively correlated with tear meniscus height(r_s=-0.489,P<0.05),and positively correlated with non-invasive tear film break-up time(r_s=0.377,P<0.05)and corneal fluorescein staining score(r_s=0.531,P<0.001),and ocular surface disease index,envy of analysis,lack of the meibomian gland scale has no obvious correlation(P>0.05).The duration of rheumatoid arthritis was positively correlated with non-invasive tear film break-up time(r_s=0.473,P<0.05)and corneal fluorescein sodium staining score(r_s=0.468,P<0.05),but not correlated with ocular surface disease index,tear meniscus height,eye redness analysis and meibomian gland loss score(P>0.05).Conclusion:RA has a certain impact on the ocular surface function of patients,and the severe disease activity and long duration of RA may lead to the further deterioration of ocular surface function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Therefore,it is necessary for rheumatologists and ophthalmiologists to cooperate closely.We should pay attention to the subjective feeling of the patient’s eyes,take care to the condition of the patient’s ocular surface as soon as possible,and carry out corresponding examination and treatment.