title: Association of ultrasonographic findings of synovitis with anti-cyclic citrullinated Peptide antibodies and rheumatoid factor in patients with palindromic rheumatism during active episodes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the presence of ultrasonographic findings of synovitis is associated with the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies and rheumatoid factor (RF) in patients with palindromic rheumatism (PR) during active episodes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinically involved regions of 84 patients with PR during active episodes were examined with high-resolution ultrasonography. Serum levels of anti-CCP antibodies were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and RF levels were measured by nephelometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty patients (36%) had ultrasonographic findings of synovitis during active episodes. Significantly higher positive rates of anti-CCP antibodies and RF were observed in patients with PR who had ultrasonographic findings of synovitis compared with those who had no ultrasonographic findings of synovitis (26.7% versus 5.6%; odds ratio, 6.18; P < .05; and 30.0% versus 5.6%; odds ratio, 7.29; P < .01, respectively). The intraobserver and interobserver agreement for the detection of synovitis and Doppler signals by ultrasonographic assessment was excellent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasonography is a reliable method for assessing the presence of synovitis in patients with PR during active episodes. The ultrasonographic findings of synovitis are associated with the presence of anti-CCP antibodies and RF in patients with PR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsin-Hua
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Joung-Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Guo-Dung
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Yi-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Howard Haw-Chang
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Der-Yuan
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000097:blood*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013585:Synovitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C487763:cyclic citrullinated peptide; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor