Pre-treatment interleukin-6 levels strongly affect bone erosion progression and repair detected by magnetic resonance imaging in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
To examine the relationship between MRI structural damage and repair and plasma inflammatory cytokines in patients with RA.



A total of 88 newly diagnosed, untreated RA patients were enrolled. Contrast MRI of the dominant hand and X-rays of the hands and feet were performed at baseline and 1 year later. MR images were evaluated using RA MRI scoring, and X-ray.



Progression of bone erosion and repair were observed more frequently in MRI than in X-rays (erosion, 52% vs 26%, P < 0.001; repair, 26% vs 15%, P = 0.003, respectively). Baseline IL-6 levels and seropositivity were independent relevant factors for MRI erosion progression, with IL-6 having stronger effect than seropositivity. A receiver operating characteristic curve identified the baseline IL-6 level of 7.6 pg/ml for predicting erosion progression during 1 year, with an area under the curve of 0.82; higher IL-6 levels resulted in more erosion progression. Baseline low IL-6 was also an independent predictor for MRI erosion repair.



In newly diagnosed, untreated RA patients, baseline plasma IL-6 levels are responsible for 1-year MRI bone erosion progression and repair.
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine.
Yasushi
Y
Kondo
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine.
Yuko
Y
Kaneko
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine.
Hiroaki
H
Sugiura
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine.
Shunsuke
S
Matsumoto
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine.
Naoshi
N
Nishina
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine.|Division of Allergy and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
Masataka
M
Kuwana
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine.
Masahiro
M
Jinzaki
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine.
Tsutomu
T
Takeuchi
D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6
IL-6; bone erosion; cytokines; magnetic resonance imaging; repair; rheumatoid arthritis