Clinical significance of behavioral type “a” in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

According to modern concepts, rheumatoid arthritis is a classic psychosomatic disease that leads to a decrease in the quality of life of patients and their early disability. To date, few foreign and domestic studies have examined the relationship between behavioral type “A” and rheumatoid arthritis. The clinical significance of behavioral type A in patients with rheumatoid arthritis has been studied to determine new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. As part of a one-stage (cross-sectional) study, 74 people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis were examined during the year, which were represented by two groups, in accordance with the diagnosed behavioral type. The first group consisted of 22 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis with behavioral type A, and the second group consisted of 52 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis with behavioral type B. All patients received standard basic and anti-inflammatory therapy in the form of methotrexate at a dose selected individually. The duration of adequate basic therapy corresponded to the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in both groups. Patients with behavioral type A were characterized by lower immunological activity, manifested, among other things, by a lower level of antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide and C-reactive protein, whereas the frequency of erosive lesions was higher. The presence of behavioral type A in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is a risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic damage. A personal negative quality, i. e. , hostility, which is included as one of the characteristics of behavioral type “A,” has a reliable direct relationship with the number of erosions, and significantly, its value directly correlates with the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, the stratification of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, according to the presence of behavioral type “A,” demonstrates the clinical and laboratory features of the disease and may be important for the development of new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches and the provision of therapeutic and preventive interventions in these patients