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Etanercept Reduces Synovitis as Measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis After Only 6 Weeks
MARIA PILAR LISBONA, JOAN MAYMO, JAVIER PERICH, MIRIAM ALMIRALL, CAROLINA PÉREZ-GARCÍA, and JORDI CARBONELL
ABSTRACT. Methods. Twenty-two patients with active RA despite disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) treatment were included in this prospective, controlled study. Patients were randomized in 2 groups. In the treatment group, etanercept was added at usual doses during 6 weeks. In the control group, patients continued with prior DMARD therapy. MRI of the dominant wrist and 2nd-5th MCP joints were obtained at baseline and at 6 weeks and evaluated according to OMERACT recommendations. Results of changes in synovitis in the treatment group were compared with changes in the control group. Results. Changes in synovitis measured by MRI of the hand (OMERACT evaluation) in the etanercept group showed a significant reduction after 6 weeks of treatment compared with no changes in the control group. Reduction of synovitis in the treatment group also showed good correlation with decrease of various clinical and laboratory measures. Conclusion. In patients with active RA despite DMARD therapy, etanercept, but not placebo, reduced synovitis as measured by MRI after 6 weeks. (First Release Jan 15 2008; J Rheumatol 2008;35:394-7) Key Indexing Terms:
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
From the Department of Rheumatology, IMAS, and Department of Radiology, IDIMAS-CRC, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. Supported by The Institut Municipal D'Investigació Médica (IMIM). M.P. Lisbona, MD; J. Maymo, MD; M. Almirall, MD; C. Pérez-García, MD; J. Carbonell, MD, Department of Rheumatology, IMAS; J. Perich, MD, Department of Radiology, IDIMAS-CRC. Address reprint requests to Dr. J. Maymó, Department of Rheumatology, Hospitales Universitarios del Mar y Esperanza, IMAS, Paseo Marítimo 25-29, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. E-mail: jmaymo@imas.imim.es Accepted for publication October 19, 2007. |
