title: Power Doppler ultrasonography in the evaluation of infliximab treatment for sacroiliitis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) to detect changes in the sacroiliac joint regions after infliximab (an anti-TNF-α blocker) treatment in active axial ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. A total of 110 sacroiliac joints in 55 patients with active AS were detected by PDUS before and after the infliximab treatment. The color flow signals inside the sacroiliac joints were observed, and the resistance index (RI) was measured. The clinical condition of the AS patients was improved compared with their condition before the infliximab treatment. Before the treatment, color flow signals were observed in 103 joints, and the mean RI value was 0.56 ± 0.06. Three months after the first infliximab treatment, color flow signals were observed in 50 joints, and the mean RI value was 0.87 ± 0.11. There were more blood flow signals in the sacroiliac joints before the infliximab treatment in patients with active AS (p < 0.01), and the mean RI value was higher after the infliximab treatment (p < 0.01). The blood flow signals in the sacroiliac joints became weaker or even disappeared and the RI values increased in patients with active sacroiliitis after infliximab treatment. This result shows that PDUS can be used in the follow-up of patients with axial AS.
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, 600 Yishan Rd, Shanghai 200233, China.
authors: Yeqing
authors: Y
authors: Jiang
authors: Ling
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: Jiaan
authors: J
authors: Zhu
authors: Qin
authors: Q
authors: Xue
authors: Niansong
authors: N
authors: Wang
authors: Yunxia
authors: Y
authors: Huang
authors: Fang
authors: F
authors: Liu
authors: Yizhou
authors: Y
authors: Hu
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D058566:Sacroiliitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D000069285:Infliximab
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