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Objective:To observe the changes of relevant clinical indicators and ultrasound pre-sentations in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients after being treated with tocilizumab for 3 months and explore the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab in the treatment of RA.Methods:Clinical data, laboratory and ultrasound examinations and medications of RA patients who met inclusion criteria in our hospital from Jan-uary 2017 to September 2020 were included and their data were analyzed retrospectively, and the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab and the ultrasound assessment of disease remission were analyzed. Paired sample t test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, χ2 test or Fisher's exact probability test were used for comparative analysis. Results:① Compared with baseline data, morning stiffness duration of patients treated with tocilizumab for 3 months [60(30, 120) min vs 0(0, 10) min, Z=-6.19, P<0.001], disease activity score of 28 joints-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) [(4.6±1.5) vs (3.2±1.2), t=6.83, P<0.001], disease activity score of 28 joints-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) [(4.2±1.4) vs (2.8±1.1), t=7.14, P<0.001], swollen joint count (SJC) [2(1, 7) vs 0(0, 2), Z=-4.31, P<0.001], tender joints count (TJC) [6(2, 13.5) vs 2(0,4), Z=-5.16, P<0.001], gray scale score (GS) [4.5(2, 6) vs 1(0, 3), Z=-5.86, P<0.001], intra-synovial blood flow energy Doppler (PD) [2(1, 3) vs 0(0, 0), Z=-5.38, P<0.001], white blood cell (WBC) [6.6(4.9, 8.4)×10 9/L vs 5.7(4.9, 7.3)×10 9/L, Z=-2.83, P=0.005], hemoglobin (Hb) [119(104, 131) g/L vs 123(113, 136) g/L, Z=-2.82, P=0.007], ESR [32(14.5, 50) mm/1 h vs 19 (10, 30) mm/1 h, Z=-3.31, P=0.001], CRP [11.40(3.02, 25.80) mg/L vs 3.49(1.30, 11.82) mg/L, Z=-2.78, P=0.004], D-dimer (D-D) [0.93(0.47, 2.07) mg/L vs 0.43(0.21, 0.80) mg/L, Z=-3.77, P<0.001] were significantly improved, and the difference was statistically significant. ② The serum levels of interleukin (IL)-2 [2.08(1.43, 2.76) pg/ml vs 1.21(0.54, 2.08) pg/ml, Z=-2.67, P=0.008], IL-6 [22.40(5.13, 67.27) pg/ml vs 14.63(5.27, 27.71) pg/ml, Z=-2.81, P=0.005], IL-10 [(2.53±0.68) pg/ml vs (1.74±0.74) pg/ml, t=2.60, P=0.017] were significantly changed, while serum levels of IL-4 [1.63(1.08, 3.38) pg/ml vs 1.33(0.97, 2.59) pg/ml, Z=-0.89, P=0.374], tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α [4.04(1.41, 10.45) pg/ml vs 1.62(0.84, 3.79) pg/ml, Z=-1.92, P=0.056], IL-17 [4.68(1.67, 6.72) pg/ml vs 3.15(1.81, 5.29) pg/ml, Z=-0.53, P=0.594] were not significantly changed from baseline data. ③ There was poor consistency between ultrasonic response and DAS28-ESR response, simplified disease activity Index (SDAI) response and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) response ( Kappa coefficient: 0.142, 0.142, 0.191), but no consistency between ultrasonic response and DAS28-CRP response (Kappa coefficient: -0.015) were found. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that ultrasound was not statistically significantly different in assessing the remission of RA, indicating subclinical synovitis remained in ultrasound examination even though clinically remission could be reached based on the above scoring indexes in RA patients. ④ In terms of adverse reactions, neutrophils (NEU) of patients after 3 months' tocilizumab treatment [4.47(2.77, 5.39)×10 9/L vs 3.76(2.98, 4.74)×10 9/L, Z=-2.77, P=0.006], platelet count (PLT) [(291±84)×10 9/L vs (254±70)×10 9/L, t=4.76, P<0.001] were significantly decreased, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) [(1.22±0.27) mmol/L vs (1.39±0.34) mmol/L, t=3.12, P=0.003], low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) [(1.96±0.66) mmol/L vs (2.19±0.84) mmol/L, t=3.15, P=0.003], triglyceride (TG) [0.85(0.68, 1.08) mmol/L vs 0.93(0.71, 1.25) mmol/L, Z=-2.36, P=0.018] and total cholesterol (TC) [(4.18±1.04) mmol/L vs (4.52±1.16) mmol/L, t=3.33, P=0.002] were significantly different from baseline. Among 65 patients, 5 patients (7.7%) had transaminase abnormality, but returned to normal after symptomatic treatment. Conclusion:Tocilizumab treatment can effectively suppress the inflammatory reactions, improve the clinical symptoms and prognosis of patients, however, patients who judged as clinical remission according to the current clinical commonly scores may still have subclinical active disease, ultrasound results should be included as one criteria for disease remission assessment and take into consideration when adjusting treatrnent.
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Objective To explore correlation between ultrasonic characteristics of femoral artery atherosclerotic plaques and non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).Methods Seventy-two patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) coexisting carotid artery and femoral artery plaques were divided into NSTE-ACS group (n=42) and chronic ischemic syndrome (CIS) group (n=30).The enhanced intensity (EI),volume,shape and internal echo level (EL) of plaques were detected with contrast-enhanced ultrasonic imaging and three-dimensional ultrasound combined with ultrasonic greyscale intensity quantitative analysis,and all parameters were analyzed between the two groups.Results EI and the proportion of irregular artery plaques were higher,and EL was lower in NSTE-ACS group than those in CIS group (all P＜0.05).EI,EL and shape of carotid artery and femoral artery plaques were correlated with NSTE-ACS (all P＜0.05).EI and EL of femoral artery plaques were risk factors for NSTE-ACS (OR=1.222,1.177,P＜0.05).Areas under ROC curve of EI and EL of carotid artery plaques were 0.801 and 0.757 (both P＜0.001),and those of femoral artery plaques were 0.814 and 0.774,respectively (both P＜0.001).Conclusion Neovascularization,shape and internal echo are correlated with NSTE-ACS,and the correlation of femoral artery plaques with NSTE-ACS is more significant than that of carotid artery plaques.Detecting ultrasonic characteristics of femoral artery atherosclerotic plaque can provide references to early identify unstable plaque and screening high-risk patients with CHD.