title: Evaluation of changes in magnetic resonance images following 24 and 52 weeks of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with infliximab, tocilizumab, or abatacept.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare MRI findings in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study subjects were 43 RA patients treated with biologic DMARDs (13 with infliximab, 15 with tocilizumab, and 15 with abatacept). They were evaluated using Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) and low-field extremity MRI at baseline, and at 24 weeks and 52 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Synovitis scores were significantly lower by 24 weeks in all groups, compared with baseline (P < 0.05). Significant improvement in bone marrow edema (BME) scores were noted from baseline to 24 weeks in infliximab and abatacept groups (P < 0.05), but from 24 weeks to 52 weeks in tocilizumab group (P < 0.01). No significant change was found in erosion score. The synovitis score at baseline correlated significantly with SDAI at 24 weeks (P < 0.05), and the score at 24 weeks correlated significantly with SDAI at 52 weeks (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the inflammatory improvement by infliximab and abatacept may express earlier than those by tocilizumab, despite similar improvement in SDAI. MRI-detected synovitis could be a useful predictor of SDAI at 24 weeks of treatment. The MRI remains the best tool to detect and assess the effects of biologic DMARDs in RA.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogishima
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ebe
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yokosawa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Yuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Tsukuba , 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575 , Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sumida
mesh_terms: D000069594:Abatacept / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D000069594:Abatacept; D000069285:Infliximab; C502936:tocilizumab
keywords: Abatacept; Infliximab; Magnetic resonance image; Rheumatoid arthritis; Tocilizumab