Background:
Among rheumatoid arthritis patients (RA), general disease activity is well regulated by diseasemodifying anti-rheumatic medications (DMARDS), but sometimes local inflammation still persists among a few joints.
Adjuvant modern molecular interventions as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) with a suggested down regulating effect on
inflammatory mediators has a proven effect in management of RA.
We aim to evaluate the therapeutic effect of intra-articular PRP versus steroid in RA patients and their impact on
inflammatory cytokines IL1B , TNF α, local joint inflammation, disease activity and quality of life (QL).
Methods:
Open labeled parallel randomized control clinical trial was carried out on 60 RA patients randomly divided into
2 groups, Group 1: included 30 patients received 3 intra-articular injections of PRP at monthly interval, Group 2: included
30 patients received single intra-articular injection of steroid. They were subjected to clinical, laboratory, serum IL1B and
TNF α assessment at baseline and at 3, 6 months post injection.
Results:
Patients of both groups showed improvements in their scores of evaluating tools at 3months post injection and
this improvement was persistent in the PRP group up to 6 months post injection while it was continued only for 3 months
in the steroid group.
Conclusions:
PRP is a safe, effective and useful therapy in treating RA patients who had insufficient response and
persistent pain and inflammation in just one or two joints through its down regulating effect on inflammatory cytokines
IL1B, TNF α with subsequent improvement of local joint inflammation, disease activity and QL.
Quality of life assessment in Egyptian rheumatoid arthritis patients: Relation to clinical features and disease activity
