Beri Tawfeq, Bizav Rasheed,
Volume 0, Issue 0 (7-2024)
Abstract
Background and objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. The disease may also affect other parts of the body, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, nerves, and blood. Aim and objectives: To evaluate the effect of methotrexate on blood, liver, and renal parameters in Rheumatoid arthritis.
Methods: A six-month cross-sectional study was carried out on 60 consecutive patients of aged 19–70 years with diagnosed Rheumatoid arthritis on methotrexate treatment (10 mg) orally per week. A questionnaire form was taken from participants, and laboratory tests were done on renal and liver function and serological tests (complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, a glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, creatinine, C-reactive protein, and rheumatoid factor as follow-up of drug taking).
Results: At the end of sample collection, age 19–70 years, female: male ratio 1.5:1, while the only significant differences in platelet level were between day one and fourteen of treatment with a P value < 0.05, Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase (GPT) level was between day one and thirty with a P value < 0.05, and rheumatoid factor level was between day one, fourteen, and day one, thirty with P values of (0.01) and (0.04) respectively which were significant.
Conclusion: The recommended medication for all kinds of rheumatoid arthritis patients is methotrexate, which has had a notable impact on blood, liver, and kidney parameters. These characteristics could be used to track how well this medication works, how safe it is, and to follow up with patients.