Ultrasound colour Doppler measurements in a single joint as measure of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis--assessment of concurrent validity

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ultrasound colour Doppler measurements in a single joint as measure of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis--assessment of concurrent validity

AU - Ellegaard, K

AU - Torp-Pedersen, S

AU - Terslev, L

AU - Danneskiold-Samsøe, B

AU - Henriksen, M

AU - Bliddal, H

AU - Ellegaard, K.

AU - Torp-Pedersen, S.

AU - Terslev, L.

AU - Danneskiold-Samsøe, Bente

AU - Henriksen, M.

AU - Bliddal, H.

N1 - Keywords: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antirheumatic Agents; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Blood Sedimentation; C-Reactive Protein; Cohort Studies; Elbow Joint; Female; Humans; Knee Joint; Male; Middle Aged; Reproducibility of Results; Severity of Illness Index; Synovial Membrane; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; Wrist Joint

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - OBJECTIVE: Colour Doppler ultrasound (CDU) displays blood flow in the tissues and is able to detect hyperaemia. Because hyperaemia is part of the inflammatory response, the amount of CDU activity in the inflamed synovium may be used to quantify the inflammatory activity in RA. It has never been investigated if the amount of CDU activity in a single joint can be used to quantify disease activity in RA. METHODS: A total of 109 patients with RA and affection of the wrist joint underwent a standardized CDU examination assessing three positions in their most affected wrist at start up in biological treatment. On the same day the following measures of disease activity were collected: assessment of the number of tender and swollen joints, CRP, ESR and 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28). The amount of CDU activity was quantified by measuring the percentage of colour in the synovium--the colour fraction (CF). Correlation between CF and other measures of disease activity was calculated. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between CF and DAS28 (r = 0.29; P < 0.001), swollen joint count (r = 0.35; P < 0.001), CRP (r = 0.5; P < 0.001) and ESR (r = 0.5; P < 0.001). No other significant correlations were found. CONCLUSION: A standardized ultrasound examination of a single affected wrist joint in patients with RA may be used as a measure of disease activity. More studies are needed to identify the number of joints needed to examine by CDU to obtain the best validity of Doppler measurements Udgivelsesdato: 2009/3

AB - OBJECTIVE: Colour Doppler ultrasound (CDU) displays blood flow in the tissues and is able to detect hyperaemia. Because hyperaemia is part of the inflammatory response, the amount of CDU activity in the inflamed synovium may be used to quantify the inflammatory activity in RA. It has never been investigated if the amount of CDU activity in a single joint can be used to quantify disease activity in RA. METHODS: A total of 109 patients with RA and affection of the wrist joint underwent a standardized CDU examination assessing three positions in their most affected wrist at start up in biological treatment. On the same day the following measures of disease activity were collected: assessment of the number of tender and swollen joints, CRP, ESR and 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28). The amount of CDU activity was quantified by measuring the percentage of colour in the synovium--the colour fraction (CF). Correlation between CF and other measures of disease activity was calculated. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between CF and DAS28 (r = 0.29; P < 0.001), swollen joint count (r = 0.35; P < 0.001), CRP (r = 0.5; P < 0.001) and ESR (r = 0.5; P < 0.001). No other significant correlations were found. CONCLUSION: A standardized ultrasound examination of a single affected wrist joint in patients with RA may be used as a measure of disease activity. More studies are needed to identify the number of joints needed to examine by CDU to obtain the best validity of Doppler measurements Udgivelsesdato: 2009/3

U2 - 10.1093/rheumatology/ken459

DO - 10.1093/rheumatology/ken459

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19129350

SN - 1462-0324

VL - 48

SP - 254

EP - 257

JO - Rheumatology

JF - Rheumatology

IS - 3

ER -