TY - JOUR T1 - Rheumatoid arthritis and bronchiectasis: A multicentre study assessing pulmonary disease severity using the bronchiectasis severity index (BSI) JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 44 IS - Suppl 58 SP - P245 AU - Anthony De Soyza AU - John Davison AU - Melissa McDonnell AU - Elizabeth Perry AU - Stefano Aliberti AU - Pieter Goeminne AU - James Chalmers AU - Adam Hill Y1 - 2014/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P245.abstract N2 - Introduction Our recent data from Newcastle, UK suggested non CF Bronchiectasis (BR) clinical severity was worse in coexistent RA (BR&RA) as compared to BR alone.Aim To utilise the multi-domain BR severity index (BSI) comparing 1103 patients with BR alone vs. 81 with both BR&RA across 4 external validation centres.Methods BSI was calculated from Milan (2BR&RA vs. 103 BR), Leuven (25 vs.228), Edinburgh (44vs. 564) and Dundee (10 vs.208) cohorts.Results Heterogeneity analysis suggested individual cohorts could not be pooled hence we conducted a MH random effects meta-analysis. Data in Table 1 shown as: Odds Ratio and Mean differences (95% CI). The BSI was not significantly worse in BR&RA vs. BR alone but was worse in a sub-analysis of the UK cohorts- mean difference 1.60 (p<0.0001) with more exacerbations mean difference 0.45 (p=0.05).View this table:Table 1Conclusion In a large international cohort, BSI scores were not significantly different comparing BR&RA vs. BR alone. They were however significantly worse in the UK centres. This may reflect the sample sizes, differences in healthcare systems, referral patterns and clinical caseloads. The data suggest worse disease severity in the UK. Further data sets are needed to explore the links between BR&RA and potentially higher pulmonary disease severity. ER -