EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: RELATIONSHIP WITH ALEXITHYMIA AND GLIAL NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (GDNF)

Shalkovskyi E.I.¹, Kuzminova N.V.¹, Stanislavchuk M.A.²

• ¹National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya
• ²National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia

Summary. Studying the effectiveness of treatment of RA patients taking into account the factors of alexithymia and GDNF is an important prerequisite for improving treatment. Aim: to analyze the effectiveness of treatment of RA patients in the presence and absence of alexithymia and at different levels of GDNF in blood plasma. Materials and methods. It was clinically examined using the DAS-28, SDAI, CDAI, VAS, HAQ, DRI and TAS-20 indices, and the level of GDNF in blood plasma was determined in 88 patients with RA. Results. A state of remission was achieved in 2.3% of patients (0% with alexithymia, 3.8% without alexithymia), low activity — respectively in 12.5% (8.3%, 15.4%), average — in 64.8% (61.1%, 67.3%), high — in 20.5% (30.6%, 13.5%). Respondents according to ACR-20 criteria were 60.2% (47.2%, 69.2%), ACR-50 — 26.1% (19.4%, 30.8%), ACR-70 — 2.3% (0%, 3.8%). All clinical and quality-of-life scores improved significantly over the course of 12 weeks of therapy, with non-alexithymic patients having lower RA activity, better functional capacity, and quality of life at post-treatment compared to alexithymic patients. Conclusions. Modern therapy of RA allows to achieve a significant decrease in disease activity, to increase the functional capacity and quality of life of patients, but does not allow to achieve remission in most patients. Alexithymia and a reduced level of GDNF are predictors of worse clinical results of therapy.