title: The development of the disease activity score (DAS) and the disease activity score using 28 joint counts (DAS28).
abstract: In rheumatoid arthritis, disease activity cannot be measured using a single variable. The Disease Activity Score (DAS) has been developed as a quantitative index to be able to measure, study and manage disease activity in RA in daily clinical practice, clinical trials, and long term observational studies. The DAS is a continuous measure of RA disease activity that combines information from swollen joints, tender joints, acute phase response and patient self-report of general health. Cut points were developed to classify patients in remission, as well as low, moderate, and severe disease activity in the 1990s. DAS-based EULAR response criteria were primarily developed to be used in clinical trials to classify individual patients as non-, moderate, or good responders, depending on the magnitude of change and absolute level of disease activity at the conclusion of the test.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. piet.vanriel@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: P L C M
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: van Riel
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein