Relation Of Dry Eye To Disease Activity In Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective:To investigate the relationship between dry eye and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA).Whether the degree of dry eye is different in these patients with and without dry eye symptoms;To find the correlation between the degree of dry eye and the course of disease.Methods:A total of 30 patients with RA were selected.All the patients were graded by OSDI questionnaire(attached table1),according to the scores,they were divided into 8 patients in the symptomatic group(score<12)and 22 patients in the asymptomatic group(score>13).According to the DAS-28 disease activity questionnaire(attached table 2),20 people were divided into the active group(>2.6),and 10 were the stable group(<2.6).Another 20 healthy adults with matched sex and age were selected as control group.Each one were accepted all the inspection and evaluation of the following:1)tear film break time(TBUT)(s),2)tear meniscus height(TMH)(mm),3)corneal fluorescein staining(CFS),4)meibomian scan(MS),5)meibomian gland secretion score,6)eyelid margin assessment.Results:the TBUT of the RA group was significantly shorter than that of the normal group,the CFS and all the meibomian gland examination scores were higher,and the difference was statistically significant.However there was no significant difference in the measured height of TMH between the two groups(P>0.05).The TBUT of the symptomatic RA group was significantly shorter than that of asymptomatic group(P=0.000),and the CFS was higher(P<0.05),with statistically significant difference.But there was no significant difference between the groups in the TMH and the morphological examination scores of all meibomian gland(P>0.05),In the active RA group,only the CFS was higher than that stable group(P<0.05),and there were no significant difference between the two group in others.There was no significant correlatin between the course of RA and dry eye(P>0.05).Conclusion:rheumatoid arthritis activity does not necessarily lead to aggravation of dry eye.On the contrary,even in patients with stable disease,dry eye will not be excluded.When patients with RA show the symptoms of dry eye,it may indicate that the effect on the ocular surface coursed by dry eye is aggravated.special attention should be paid to the examination of corneal epithelial damage,and the corresponding treatment should be made in time to avoid further corneal damage,and more attention should be paid to the subjective feelings of patients.Regardless of the duration of RA,it may have no relation between the severity of dry eye.Everyone with RA,regardless the course of disease,should consider dry eye,besides,the evaluation of dry eye should be determined according to clinical symptoms and objective examination indicators.