title: Magnetic resonance imaging in early rheumatoid arthritis: a multicenter, prospective study.
abstract: To identify the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of hands and wrists in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A total of 129 early arthritis patients (≤1 year) were enrolled in the study. At presentation, MRI of the hands was performed, with clinical and laboratory analyses. After a 1-year follow-up, clinical diagnosis of early RA or non-RA was confirmed by two rheumatologists. The characteristics of MRI variables at baseline in RA patients not fulfilling ACR 1987 criteria [RA-87(-)] were compared with those fulfilling ACR1987 criteria [RA-87(+)] and non-RA. In the 129 early arthritis patients, 90 were diagnosed with RA in a 1-year follow-up. There were 47.8 % (43/90) of the RA patients not fulfilling ACR 1987 criteria [RA-87(-)]. The scores of synovitis in RA-87(-) patients were similar with those in RA-87(+) [Synovitis score, 14.0 (IQR, 4.0-25.0) vs. 14.0 (IQR, 10.0-25.0), p > 0.05]. Compared with those in non-RA, RA-87(-) patients had higher synovitis scores and occurrence of synovitis in proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints [synovitis score, 14.0 (IQR, 4.0-25.0) vs. 6.0 (IQR, 2.0-14.5), p = 0.046; occurrence of PIP synovitis: 53.5 vs. 27.3 %, p = 0.02]. There was no significant difference of bone marrow edema, bone erosion, and tenosynovitis between RA-87(-) and non-RA. Synovitis in PIP joints was independent predictor for RA-87(-) [OR, 3.1 (95 %CI 1.2-8.1)]. High synovitis scores and synovitis in PIP joints on MRI were important in early RA, especially those not fulfilling ACR 1987 criteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100044, China.
authors.forename: Ru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100044, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100044, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Hong
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jilin University China-Japan Union Hospital, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Tao
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Xing-Fu
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Fudan University Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Xia
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Third Military Medical University Southwest Hospital, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University Xijing Hospital, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Li-Na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jilin University China-Japan Union Hospital, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Li-Qi
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhuo-Li
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Fudan University Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: He-Jian
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Yuan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Ling-Yun
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Third Military Medical University Southwest Hospital, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University Xijing Hospital, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100044, China. suyin0921@163.com.
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100044, China. zgli99@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Zhan-Guo
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D050823:Hand Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Early rheumatoid arthritis; Magnetic resonance imaging; Synovitis