Objective: This study examined the relationship of the Sharp score with demographic factors and clinical immune-inflammatory markers in patients with anemia in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods: The clinical data of 1057 patients with RA and anemia and 1006 patients with RA without anemia were retrospectively analyzed. Spearman's correlation coefficient analysis, association rule analysis, and logistic regression were used to study the relationships between the Sharp score and influencing factors in patients with RA and anemia.
Results: The incidence of anemia was 51.24% (1057/2063), and mild anemia accounted for 81.93% (866/1057) of cases. Spearman's correlation coefficient and association rule analyses revealed that the Sharp score of patients with RA and anemia was correlated with immune-inflammatory response and anemia. Logistic regression analysis illustrated that advanced age (>60 years), female, low serum iron levels, C-reactive protein positivity, and immunoglobulin A positivity were risk factors for a high Sharp score (>28.25) in patients with RA and anemia.
Conclusion: The Sharp score is closely related to clinical disease activity and anemia, and it should be considered in the treatment strategy of patients with RA and anemia.
Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis; Sharp score; X-ray imaging; anemia; disease activity; immune-inflammatory response; inflammation; risk factors.