Association between musculoskeletal ultrasonography and bone remodelling markers and its role in disease monitoring of gout and hyperuricaemia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate associations between bone destruction markers and musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MU) findings in patients with gout and hyperuricaemia and clarify the role of MU in treatment responsiveness. METHODS: One-hundred and fifty patients with gout and 100 patients with hyperuricaemia were divided into five groups according to MU manifestations. Circulating Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) levels were measured. Thirty patients from the gout group and 10 from the hyperuricaemia group, were treated for 1 year with urate-lowering therapy (ULT). RESULTS: Patients with gout and tophus and/or bone erosion had the highest DKK-1 and RANKL levels. Patients with gout and MU-evidenced aggregates and/or double-contour signs had higher DKK-1 and RANKL levels than the normal MU group (p<0.001). Patients with hyperuricaemia and abnormal MU findings had significantly higher DKK-1 and RANKL levels than those with normal MU findings. DKK-1 and RANKL levels positively correlated with disease duration in patients with gout (r=0.430, p<0.001; r=0.359, p<0.001, respectively) and hyperuricaemia (r=0.446, p<0.001; r=0.379, p<0.001, respectively). After ULT, MU abnormalities disappeared in 12 and 8 patients with gout and hyperuricaemia, respectively. The largest tophus diameter decreased in patients with gout (t=6.092, p<0.001). DKK-1 and RANKL concentrations significantly decreased in all patients. Lower serum urate levels corresponded with higher ratios of normal MU features in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with gout and hyperuricaemia, MU manifestations were associated with DKK-1 and RANKL levels and were ameliorated after ULT. Thus, MU could be a useful tool in assessing bone remodelling and monitoring disease responsiveness.

Characteristics and mortality in primary Sjögren syndrome-related interstitial lung disease.

ABSTRACT: Aim of the study was to determine the characteristics and prognosis, and to identify the risk factors for mortality in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) with interstitial lung disease (pSS-ILD).A total of 1422 patients with SS were screened and 178 patients with pSS-ILD were recruited. The medical records and outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival and case control study were performed to explore the predictors of death.Among 178 pSS-ILD patients, 87.1% were women. Mean age was 61.59 ±â€Š11.69-year-old. Median disease duration was 72.0 (24.0, 156.0) months. Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia was the predominant high-resolution computed tomography pattern (44.9%). Impairment in diffusion capacity was the most common abnormality of pulmonary function test (75.8%) and the most severe consequence. Type 1 respiratory failure and hypoxia were observed in 15.0% and 30.0% patients, respectively. Mean survival time after confirmation of pSS-ILD diagnosis was 9.0 (6.8, 13.0) years. The 10-year survival rate for all patients with pSS-ILD was 81.7%. Forty-four (24.7%) of 178 patients died during the follow-up period. The most predominant cause of death was respiratory failure (n = 27). Twenty-seven patients died of ILD and formed study group. The 78 patients who survived formed control group. Age and smoking were risk factors for mortality in patients with pSS-ILD. In addition, severity of ILD, as reflected by high-resolution computed tomography, pulmonary function test, and arterial blood gas, was an independent risk factor. However, inflammation status (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein) and anti-Sjögren syndrome-related antigen A and anti-Sjögren syndrome-related antigen B were not.ILD is a severe complication of pSS. Age, smoking, and severity of lung involvement are more critical for prognosis rather than inflammation status and autoantibodies.

Expression of circulating Semaphorin3A and its association with inflammation and bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis.

To determine the expression of Semaphorin3A (Sema3A) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and analyze the correlation between serum Sema3A and the pathogenesis of RA. The concentration of serum Sema3A and its mRNA expression level were detected in RA patients. The association of serum Sema3A level with clinical and laboratory features of RA were analyzed. Serum Sema3A of 130 RA patients (15.89 ± 8.58 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that of 150 HC (6.96 ± 2.62 ng/ml) and 215 patients with other rheumatic diseases (P < 0.05). Consistent with the serum level, the Sema3A mRNA level was also higher in RA patients' PBMC than that in HC (1.8-fold increase, P < 0.01). The serum level of Sema3A was correlated with platelet counts (r = 0.229), ESR (r = 0.172), RF (r = 0.230), IgM (r = 0.254) and Sharp score (r = 0.254), and bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine (r = 0.263). Serum Sema3A was also fundamentally higher in AKA-, APF-, anti-CCP-positive groups compared with negative groups (P < 0.05). The ROC curve showed that the optimum diagnostic cutoff value for Sema3A was 10.881 ng/ml. RF level and antibodies (anti-CCP, APF, AKA, and GPI) positive rates were significantly higher in Sema3A positive group. Sharp score was also higher, although without significance. The expression of Sema3A is significantly elevated in RA patients. The level of serum Sema3A is positively correlated with inflammatory factors (including ESR, IgM, and RF) and is associated with auto-antibody production and bone destruction.