We investigated the relationship between distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint involvement and disease activity in 10,038 patients with adult-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The affected joint distribution was investigated using the joint indices (JI) x, y, and z, corresponding to the upper and lower joints, and the predominance of large-joint involvement, respectively. DIP joint involvement (defined by the presence of tenderness and/or swelling in DIP joints) was present in 206 (2.1%) of 10,038 patients with RA. Patients with RA exhibiting DIP joint involvement were significantly younger, and more frequently women. DIP joint involvement was positively associated with Disease Activity Score-28 using C-reactive protein, and clinical variables related to high RA disease activity, including JIs x and y, and was negatively associated with JI z. JI x was significantly higher than JI y in RA patients with DIP joint involvement. An odds ratio analysis revealed that small-to-medium sized and upper-extremity joints ranked first, second, and fourth among the eight variables significantly associated with DIP joint involvement. The correlation coefficients revealed that small-sized and upper-extremity joints ranked first and second among the five significant variables. DIP joint involvement, albeit rare, is significantly associated with high RA disease activity with predominance of small-sized and upper-extremity joints.
Keywords: disease activity; distal interphalangeal joint; rheumatoid arthritis.