Matrix metalloproteinase-3 and the 7-joint ultrasound score in the assessment of disease activity and therapeutic efficacy in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, serious systemic autoimmune disease that is primarily characterized by multi-joint synovitis [1]. [...]comprehensive approaches to assessing joint damage in patients with RA are pivotal for the early diagnosis and treatment of RA in clinical settings [2]. Currently, approaches to the clinical assessment of RA disease activity, such as the disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) require complicated algorithms with multiple parameters, including the number of swollen and tender joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein... Mehr ...