Power Doppler sonography monitoring of synovial perfusion at the wrist joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with adalimumab.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To use power Doppler sonography (PDS) to evaluate changes in synovial perfusion induced by adalimumab in the wrist joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS:

48 wrists of 24 patients (18 women and 6 men) were examined. Despite prior treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, including methotrexate, patients with clinically active rheumatoid arthritis were recruited in two rheumatological centres to receive 40 mg adalimumab subcutaneously every other week. Clinical, laboratory and PDS assessments were carried out at 0, 2, 6 and 12 weeks. Clinical and laboratory measurements of disease activity included physician's global assessment of disease activity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum levels of C reactive protein. The Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28) was calculated. PDS signal was scored from 0 to 3 according to the overall expression of PDS findings at the wrists.

RESULTS:

A significant reduction in both clinical (p<0.001) and PDS findings (p<0.001) was found at all follow-up examinations. A tendency to positive correlation (Spearman's r = 0.382; p = 0.067) was shown between reduction in PDS score and improvement in DAS28 at week 2 examination.

CONCLUSION:

PDS detected a rapid and significant reduction in synovial perfusion at the wrist joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving adalimumab. Ongoing follow-up will provide further information regarding the persistence of considerable reduction in PDS signal score and its correlation with DAS28.

• Authors: E Filippucci, A Iagnocco, F Salaffi, A Cerioni, G Valesini, W Grassi
• Journal: Annals of the rheumatic diseases (Ann Rheum Dis) Vol. 65 Issue 11 Pg. 1433-7 (Nov 2006) ISSN: 0003-4967 [Print] England
• PMID: 16504996 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Antirheumatic Agents
• Biomarkers
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• C-Reactive Protein
• Adalimumab

Topics

• Adalimumab
• Adult
• Aged
• Antibodies, Monoclonal (therapeutic use)
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Antirheumatic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Biomarkers (blood)
• C-Reactive Protein (metabolism)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Severity of Illness Index
• Synovial Fluid (diagnostic imaging)
• Synovitis (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Treatment Outcome
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Ultrasonography, Doppler
• Wrist Joint (diagnostic imaging)