scholarly journals Subclinical synovitis detected by magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography following clinical remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A retrospective study

Author(s):  
Masao Nawata ◽  
Kazuki Someya ◽  
Takafumi Aritomi ◽  
Masashi Funada ◽  
Katsumi Nakamura ◽  
...  
2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 398-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédérique Gandjbakhch ◽  
Espen A. Haavardsholm ◽  
Philip G. Conaghan ◽  
Bo Ejbjerg ◽  
Violaine Foltz ◽  
...  

Objective.To assess the predictive value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected subclinical inflammation for subsequent radiographic progression in a longitudinal study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in clinical remission or low disease activity (LDA), and to determine cutoffs for an MRI inflammatory activity acceptable state in RA in which radiographic progression rarely occurs.Methods.Patients with RA in clinical remission [28-joint Disease Activity Score-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) < 2.6, n = 185] or LDA state (2.6 ≤ DAS28-CRP < 3.2, n = 69) with longitudinal MRI and radiographic data were included from 5 cohorts (4 international centers). MRI were assessed according to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) RA MRI scoring system (RAMRIS). Statistical analyses included an underlying conditional logistic regression model stratified per cohort, with radiographic progression as dependent variable.Results.A total of 254 patients were included in the multivariate analyses. At baseline, synovitis was observed in 95% and osteitis in 49% of patients. Radiographic progression was observed in 60 patients (24%). RAMRIS synovitis was the only independent predictive factor in multivariate analysis. ROC analysis identified a cutoff value for baseline RAMRIS synovitis score of 5 (maximum possible score 21). Rheumatoid factor (RF) status yielded a significant interaction with synovitis (p value = 0.044). RF-positive patients with a RAMRIS synovitis score of > 5 vs ≤ 5, had an OR of 4.4 (95% CI 1.72–11.4) for radiographic progression.Conclusion.High MRI synovitis score predicts radiographic progression in patients in clinical remission/LDA. A cutoff point for determining an MRI inflammatory activity acceptable state based on the RAMRIS synovitis score was established. Incorporating MRI in future remission criteria should be considered.


2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (11) ◽  
pp. 2145-2152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoony Y.J. Gent ◽  
Nazanin Ahmadi ◽  
Alexandre E. Voskuyl ◽  
Nikie Hoetjes ◽  
Cornelis van Kuijk ◽  
...  

Objective.To determine whether macrophage targeting by (R)-11C-PK11195 positron emission tomography (PET) can visualize subclinical joint inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without clinical arthritis during or after treatment, with flare as clinical outcome measure.Methods.(R)-11C-PK11195 PET and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of hands/wrists were performed in 29 patients with RA without clinical arthritis. (R)-11C-PK11195 PET uptake (semiquantitative score 0–3) in metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, and wrist joints (i.e., 22 joints per patient) was scored and summed to obtain a cumulative PET score (range 0–66). Rheumatoid Arthritis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scoring (RAMRIS) was performed on similar joints. Synovitis and bone marrow edema scores (> 1) were summed to obtain a cumulative MRI score (range 0–288). Occurrence of flare was determined during 3-year followup.Results.Flare was observed in 17/29 patients (59%). (R)-11C-PK11195 PET showed enhanced tracer uptake in 16/29 patients (55%), of which 11 (69%) developed a flare. Highest cumulative PET scores (> 6, n = 3) corresponded with highest cumulative MRI scores (> 39) and were related to development of flare in hands/wrists within 6 months. Cumulative PET scores of patients developing a flare were higher than those of patients without a flare [median (interquartile range) 2 (0–4.5) vs 0 (0–1), p < 0.05]. In contrast, no significant differences were found between cumulative MRI scores of patients with and without a flare.Conclusion.(R)-11C-PK11195 PET showed enhanced uptake, pointing to presence of subclinical synovitis in over half of patients without clinical arthritis. (R)-11C-PK11195 PET may be of value for prediction of exacerbation of RA, since cumulative PET scores > 1 were associated with development of flare within 3 years.


2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 1623-1629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pilar Lisbona ◽  
Anna Pàmies ◽  
Jesús Ares ◽  
Miriam Almirall ◽  
Maria Navallas ◽  
...  

Objective.To evaluate the association of synovitis, bone marrow edema (BME), and tenosynovitis in the progression of erosions quantified by hand magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 1 year in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in remission.Methods.A total of 56 of 196 patients with early RA in remission at 1 year and with available MRI data at baseline and at 12 months were included. MRI images were assessed according to the Rheumatoid Arthritis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scoring (RAMRIS) system. Persistent remission was defined as 28-joint Disease Activity Score-erythrocyte sedimentation rate ≤ 2.6 and/or Simplified Disease Activity Index ≤ 3.3 and/or the new boolean American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism remission criteria for a continuous period of at least 6 months. Progression of bone erosions was defined as an increase of 1 or more units in annual RAMRIS score for erosions compared to baseline.Results.At 1 year, the majority of patients with RA in sustained remission showed some inflammatory activity on MRI (94.6% synovitis, 46.4% BME, and 58.9% tenosynovitis) and 19 of the 56 patients (33.9%) showed MRI progression of bone erosions. A significant difference was observed in MRI BME at 1 year, with higher mean score in patients with progression compared to nonprogression of erosions (4.8 ± 5.6 and 1.4 ± 2.6, p = 0.03).Conclusion.Subclinical inflammation was identified by MRI in 96.4% of patients with RA in sustained clinical remission. Significantly higher scores of BME after sustained remission were observed in patients with progression of erosions compared to patients with no progression. The persistence of higher scores of BME may explain the progression of bone erosions in patients with persistent clinical remission.


2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Ogishima ◽  
Hiroto Tsuboi ◽  
Naoto Umeda ◽  
Masanobu Horikoshi ◽  
Yuya Kondo ◽  
...  

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