Multibiomarker disease activity score: an objective tool for monitoring rheumatoid arthritis? A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES: The multibiomarker disease activity (MBDA) score is an objective tool for monitoring disease activity in RA. Here we report a systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical value of the MBDA score in RA. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search in five medical databases—MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), Embase, Scopus and Web of Science—from inception to 13 October 2021. Original articles reporting on the performance of the MBDA score’s correlation with conventional disease activity measures or the predictive and discriminative values of the MBDA score for radiographic progression, therapy response, remission and relapse were included. RESULTS: Our systematic search provided a total of 1190 records. After selection and citation searches, we identified 32 eligible studies. We recorded moderate correlations between MBDA score and conventional disease activity measures at baseline [correlation (COR) 0.45 (CI 0.28, 0.59), I(2) = 71.0% for the 28-joint DAS with CRP (DAS28-CRP) and COR 0.55 (CI 0.19, 0.78), I(2) = 0.0% for DAS28 with ESR] and at follow-up [COR 0.44 (CI 0.28, 0.57, I(2) = 70.0% for DAS28-CRP) and found that the odds of radiographic progression were significantly higher for patients with a high baseline MBDA score (>44) than for patients with a low baseline MBDA score (<30) [OR 1.03 (CI 1.02–1.05), I(2) = 10.0%]. CONCLUSION: The MBDA score might be used as an objective disease activity marker. In addition, it is also a reliable prognostic marker of radiographic progression.