title: Presence of ultrasound subclinical synovitis and increment of serum vascular endothelial growth factor in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis achieved in sustained clinical remission by treatment with adalimumab and methotrexate.
abstract: A 63-year-old male Japanese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient, in whom treatment with infliximab and methotrexate (MTX) had once led to drug-free remission, experienced a disease flare in July 2010. He was retreated with a combination of adalimumab and MTX, and clinical remission was achieved in 3 months. In contrast, power Doppler signals by ultrasonography with increased serum vascular endothelial growth factor still remained after he achieved sustained clinical remission, whereas no radiographic progression has been found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Unit of Translational Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki , Japan.
authors.forename: Shin-Ya
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kawashiri
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arima
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horai
authors.forename: Akitomo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawakami
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab; D000368:Aged; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013585:Synovitis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068879:Adalimumab; D008727:Methotrexate
keywords: Adalimumab; Angiopoietin-2; Musculoskeletal ultrasonography; Rheumatoid arthritis; Vascular endothelial growth factor