Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33397438›Full record

ArticleArthritis research & therapy2021

Validation of the adjusted multi-biomarker disease activity score as a prognostic test for radiographic progression in rheumatoid arthritis: a combined analysis of multiple studies.

Jeffrey R Curtis, Michael E Weinblatt, Nancy A Shadick, Cecilie H Brahe, Mikkel Østergaard, Merete Lund Hetland, Saedis Saevarsdottir, Megan Horton, Brent Mabey, Darl D Flake and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Arthritis research & therapy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
3.7field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 36 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Rheumatoid Arthritis: Biomarkers and the Latest Breakthroughs.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  4. Age of onset of rheumatoid arthritis and radiographic changes.Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 7 institutions in 5 countries.

Jeffrey R CurtisUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, 510 20th Street S, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Michael E WeinblattDivison of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Nancy A ShadickDivison of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Cecilie H BraheCopenhagen Center for Arthritis Research and DANBIO, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Valdemar Hansens vej 17, Glostrup, Denmark.
Mikkel ØstergaardCopenhagen Center for Arthritis Research and DANBIO, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Valdemar Hansens vej 17, Glostrup, Denmark.
Merete Lund HetlandCopenhagen Center for Arthritis Research and DANBIO, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Valdemar Hansens vej 17, Glostrup, Denmark.
Saedis SaevarsdottirDivision of Rheumatology and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
Megan HortonMyriad Genetics, Inc., 320 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Brent MabeyMyriad Genetics, Inc., 320 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Darl D FlakeMyriad Genetics, Inc., 320 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Rotem Ben-ShacharMyriad Genetics, Inc., 320 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Eric H SassoCrescendo Bioscience, Inc., 180 Kimball Way, South San Francisco, CA, USA. esasso@myriad.com.ORCID 0000-0001-6891-7980
T W HuizingaLeiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, Netherlands.
Myriad Genetics · USUniversity of Copenhagen · DKBrigham and Women's Hospital · USLeiden University Medical Center · NLScienceSouth · USUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham · USUniversity of Iceland · IS

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe multi-biomarker disease activity (MBDA) test measures 12 serum protein biomarkers to quantify disease activity in RA patients. A newer version of the MBDA score, adjusted for age, sex, and adiposity, has been validated in two cohorts (OPERA and BRASS) for predicting risk for radiographic progression. We now extend these findings with additional cohorts to further validate the adjusted MBDA score as a predictor of radiographic progression risk and compare its performance with that of other risk factors.

methodsFour cohorts were analyzed: the BRASS and Leiden registries and the OPERA and SWEFOT studies (total N = 953). Treatments included conventional DMARDs and anti-TNFs. Associations of radiographic progression (ΔTSS) per year with the adjusted MBDA score, seropositivity, and clinical measures were evaluated using linear and logistic regression. The adjusted MBDA score was (1) validated in Leiden and SWEFOT, (2) compared with other measures in all four cohorts, and (3) used to generate curves for predicting risk of radiographic progression.

resultsUnivariable and bivariable analyses validated the adjusted MBDA score and found it to be the strongest, independent predicator of radiographic progression (ΔTSS > 5) compared with seropositivity (rheumatoid factor and/or anti-CCP), baseline TSS, DAS28-CRP, CRP SJC, or CDAI. Neither DAS28-CRP, CDAI, SJC, nor CRP added significant information to the adjusted MBDA score as a predictor, and the frequency of radiographic progression agreed with the adjusted MBDA score when it was discordant with these measures. The rate of progression (ΔTSS > 5) increased from < 2% in the low (1-29) adjusted MBDA category to 16% in the high (45-100) category. A modeled risk curve indicated that risk increased continuously, exceeding 40% for the highest adjusted MBDA scores.

conclusionThe adjusted MBDA score was validated as an RA disease activity measure that is prognostic for radiographic progression. The adjusted MBDA score was a stronger predictor of radiographic progression than conventional risk factors, including seropositivity, and its prognostic ability was not significantly improved by the addition of DAS28-CRP, CRP, SJC, or CDAI.

Indexed as

Antirheumatic AgentsArthritis, RheumatoidBiomarkersDisease ProgressionHumansPrognosisSeverity of Illness IndexAntirheumatic AgentsBiomarkersBiomarkerDisease activityRadiographic progressionRheumatoid arthritisRisk prediction

Identifiers

PMID33397438
PMCPMC7784276
OpenAlexW3119188840

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.