Correlation of Ultrasound Synovitis Joint Count with Disease Activity and Its Longitudinal Variation with Treatment Response to Etanercept in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Author(s):  
Chaojun Wang ◽  
Yong Qin ◽  
Jinghua Xu ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
Jianming Lei ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Yongji Li ◽  
Wendi Yang ◽  
Feng Wang

Abstract Background Cell division control protein 42 (CDC42) is reported to be involved in multiple inflammation processes by regulating T cell differentiation, maintaining immune cell homeostasis, and altering their function, while no relevant studies explored its clinical role in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the correlation of CDC42 with Th1 and Th17 cells and its association with disease risk, activity, and treatment outcomes of RA. Methods After the enrollment of 95 active RA patients and 50 healthy subjects (HC), their CDC42, Th1 cells, and Th17 cells were assayed by RT-qPCR and flow cytometry, accordingly. For RA patients only, CDC42 was also detected at W6, and W12 after treatment. The treatment response and remission status were evaluated at W12. Results Compared to HC, CDC42 was reduced (P < 0.001), while Th1 cells (P = 0.021) and Th17 cells (P < 0.001) were increased in RA patients. Besides, CDC42 was negatively correlated with Th17 cells (P < 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (P = 0.012), C-reactive protein (P = 0.002), and disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) (P = 0.007), but did not relate to Th1 cells or other disease features (all P > 0.05) in RA patients. Furthermore, CDC42 was elevated during treatment in RA patients (P < 0.001). Moreover, CDC42 increment at W12 correlated with treatment response (P = 0.004). Besides, CDC42 elevation at W0 (P = 0.038), W6 (P = 0.001), and W12 (P < 0.001) also linked with treatment remission. Conclusion CDC42 has the potential to serve as a biomarker to monitor disease activity and treatment efficacy in patients with RA.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 67-67
Author(s):  
E Simpson ◽  
Matt Stevenson ◽  
Emma Hock ◽  
Ruth Wong ◽  
R Wakefield ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION:Ultrasound (US) detects synovitis more accurately than clinical examination (CE) in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This review aimed to investigate the use of US, compared to CE alone, in treatment strategies for RA, and to estimate its potential to be cost-effective in making treatment decisions.METHODS:A systematic review was conducted of studies: investigating RA treatment response or strategies that compared US with CE-assessed synovitis; and of tapering RA treatment (1). A model was constructed to investigate the potential cost-effectiveness of US in (i) selecting patients suitable for treatment tapering; and (ii) avoiding treatment escalation (2).RESULTS:Seven prospective cohort studies suggested US-detected synovitis was significantly associated with a treatment response or tapering failure, whereas in most cases clinical examination alone was not. Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) identified suggested that US added to the Disease Activity Index (DAS)-based treatment strategies but did not significantly improve primary outcomes, but was associated with improved rate of DAS remission. The evidence showed that some patients (proportions varied widely) who had achieved low disease activity could have treatment tapered, with no, or little, short-term harm to the patient.The model estimated that an average reduction of 2.5 percent in the costs of biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (bDMARDs) was sufficient to cover the costs of performing US every three months. This value increased to 4 percent and 13 percent for the costs of conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (cDMARDs) depending on the assumed regimen.CONCLUSIONS:Use of US to monitor synovitis could potentially be a cost-effective approach, given that low proportions of patients for whom clinicians consider amending treatment, would need to taper treatment, or remain on therapy without escalation. US could provide clinicians with more confidence in reducing the drug burden. However, there is considerable uncertainty in this conclusion due to lack of robust data relating to key parameters.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. e239112
Author(s):  
Julian Alejandro Santos ◽  
Cherica Afurong Tee ◽  
Romelito Jose Galvan Galsim ◽  
Michael Lucas Tee

A 60-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis consulted for acute flare. She had elevated disease activity score 28 - erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS 28-ESR) of 6.88 and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) of 32. Her 12-joint ultrasound revealed widespread joint effusion. Synovial vascularity scores measured through superb microvascular imaging (SMI) and power Doppler were universally increased. We documented her treatment response 2 weeks after she received a single dose of biosimilar infliximab using clinical and sonographic data. Her DAS 28-ESR and CDAI scores decreased to 4.21 and 7.0, respectively. Reduction in synovial vascularity scores was demonstrated using SMI. While there was near total resolution in joint effusion and tenosynovitis, SMI was able to demonstrate synovial vascularity in joints with no clinical swelling nor tenderness. Musculoskeletal ultrasound and superb microvascular imaging are useful adjuncts in evaluating synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis and documenting treatment response through documentation of synovial vascularity, effusion and tenosynovitis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 2031-2037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Karolina Jonsson ◽  
Nina Paulshus Sundlisæter ◽  
Hilde Haugedal Nordal ◽  
Hilde Berner Hammer ◽  
Anna-Birgitte Aga ◽  
...  

ObjectivesCalprotectin is an inflammatory marker of interest in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated whether the level of calprotectin was associated with disease activity, and if it was predictive of treatment response and radiographic progression in patients with early RA.MethodsPlasma from disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-naïve patients with RA fulfilling 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria with symptom duration <2 years was analysed for calprotectin at baseline, and after 1, 3 and 12 months. All patients received treat-to-target therapy, as part of a randomised controlled strategy trial (ARCTIC). The association between calprotectin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C reactive protein (CRP) and measures of disease activity were assessed by correlations. We used likelihood ratios and logistic regression models to assess the predictive value of the baseline inflammatory markers for treatment response and radiographic damage.Results215 patients were included: 61% female, 82% anti-citrullinated peptide antibody positive, mean (SD) age 50.9 (13.7) years and median (25, 75 percentile) symptom duration 5.8 (2.8, 10.5) months. Calprotectin was significantly correlated with Clinical Disease Activity Index (r=0.32), ESR (r=0.50) and ultrasonography power Doppler (r=0.42) before treatment onset. After 12 months of treatment, calprotectin, but not ESR and CRP, was significantly correlated with power Doppler (r=0.27). Baseline levels of calprotectin, ESR and CRP were not predictive of treatment response, but high levels of calprotectin were associated with radiographic progression in multivariate models.ConclusionsCalprotectin was correlated with inflammation assessed by ultrasound before and during DMARD treatment, and was also associated with radiographic progression. The data support that calprotectin may be of interest as an inflammatory marker when assessing disease activity in different stages of RA.Trial registration numberNCT01205854; Post-results.


2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 761-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances Humby ◽  
Myles Lewis ◽  
Nandhini Ramamoorthi ◽  
Jason A Hackney ◽  
Michael R Barnes ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo unravel the hierarchy of cellular/molecular pathways in the disease tissue of early, treatment-naïve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and determine their relationship with clinical phenotypes and treatment response/outcomes longitudinally.Methods144 consecutive treatment-naïve early RA patients (<12 months symptoms duration) underwent ultrasound-guided synovial biopsy before and 6 months after disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) initiation. Synovial biopsies were analysed for cellular (immunohistology) and molecular (NanoString) characteristics and results compared with clinical and imaging outcomes. Differential gene expression analysis and logistic regression were applied to define variables correlating with treatment response and predicting radiographic progression.ResultsCellular and molecular analyses of synovial tissue demonstrated for the first time in early RA the presence of three pathology groups: (1) lympho-myeloid dominated by the presence of B cells in addition to myeloid cells; (2) diffuse-myeloid with myeloid lineage predominance but poor in B cells nd (3) pauci-immune characterised by scanty immune cells and prevalent stromal cells. Longitudinal correlation of molecular signatures demonstrated that elevation of myeloid- and lymphoid-associated gene expression strongly correlated with disease activity, acute phase reactants and DMARD response at 6 months. Furthermore, elevation of synovial lymphoid-associated genes correlated with autoantibody positivity and elevation of osteoclast-targeting genes predicting radiographic joint damage progression at 12 months. Patients with predominant pauci-immune pathology showed less severe disease activity and radiographic progression.ConclusionsWe demonstrate at disease presentation, prior to pathology modulation by therapy, the presence of specific cellular/molecular synovial signatures that delineate disease severity/progression and therapeutic response and may pave the way to more precise definition of RA taxonomy, therapeutic targeting and improved outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tereza Kropáčková ◽  
Heřman Mann ◽  
Olga Růžičková ◽  
Olga Šléglová ◽  
Lucia Vernerová ◽  
...  

AbstractClusterin (CLU) is a molecular chaperone that participates in a variety of biological processes. Recent studies indicate its possible involvement in the development of bone erosions and autoimmunity. The aim of this study was to investigate its serum concentrations in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to explore their potential relationship with disease activity and treatment response. Serum levels of CLU were measured in 52 patients before and 3 months after the initiation of treatment and in 52 healthy individuals. CLU levels at baseline were significantly increased in patients with early RA compared with healthy subjects (p < 0.0001). After 3 months of treatment, the levels of CLU decreased and reached concentrations comparable to those in controls. Even though there was no relationship between CLU levels and disease activity at baseline, CLU levels positively correlated with disease activity at months 3, 6 and 12 after treatment initiation. Using ROC analysis, lower CLU baseline levels predicted achieving the therapeutic target of low disease activity and remission at months 3, 6 and 12. In summary, we found increased serum concentrations of clusterin in treatment-naïve patients with early rheumatoid arthritis, and we suggest clusterin as a predictive biomarker of disease activity and treatment response.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0244187
Author(s):  
Jason Ptacek ◽  
Rachael E. Hawtin ◽  
Dongmei Sun ◽  
Brent Louie ◽  
Erik Evensen ◽  
...  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic and incurable autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation in synovial lining of joints. To identify the signaling pathways involved in RA, its disease activity, and treatment response, we adapted a systems immunology approach to simultaneously quantify 42 signaling nodes in 21 immune cell subsets (e.g., IFNα→p-STAT5 in B cells) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 194 patients with longstanding RA (including 98 patients before and after treatment), and 41 healthy controls (HC). We found multiple differences between patients with RA compared to HC, predominantly in cytokine-induced Jak/STAT signaling in many immune cell subsets, suggesting pathways that may be associated with susceptibility to RA. We also found that high RA disease activity, compared to low disease activity, was associated with decreased (e.g., IFNα→p-STAT5, IL-10→p-STAT1) or increased (e.g., IL-6→STAT3) response to stimuli in multiple cell subsets. Finally, we compared signaling in patients with established, refractory RA before and six months after initiation of methotrexate (MTX) or TNF inhibitors (TNFi). We noted significant changes from pre-treatment to post-treatment in IFNα→p-STAT5 signaling and IL-10→p-STAT1 signaling in multiple cell subsets; these changes brought the aberrant RA signaling profiles toward those of HC. This large, comprehensive functional signaling pathway study provides novel insights into the pathogenesis of RA and shows the potential of quantification of cytokine-induced signaling as a biomarker of disease activity or treatment response.


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