Application of 7-joint ultrasound score in evaluating efficiency of Chinese and western medicine in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis / 中国介入影像与治疗学

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the value of the 7-joint ultrasound score (US7) in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with Chinese and western medicine.Methods A total of 160 RA patients were divided into 2 groups based on different methods of treatment,including Yi Shen Qing Luo (YSQL) group and western medicine group.The patients were examined by grey scale ultrasound (GSUS) and power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) with US7 at baseline and after 3 and 6 months later.There were 7 related joints and 5 single factors for scoring in US7 system.The joints included the wrist joints,the second/third metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP Ⅱ/Ⅲ),the second/third proximal interphalangeal joints (PIP Ⅱ / Ⅲ) and the second/fifth metatarsophalangeal joints (MTP Ⅱ/Ⅴ).And the factors included synovitis of GSUS,synovitis of PDUS,myotenositis/tenosynovitis of GSUS,myotenositis/tenosynovitis of PDUS and bone erosion (ES).Meanwhile,the laboratory index included C-reactive protein (C-RP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were examined.And the clinical indexes as disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) were evaluated.Results The statistical differences of synovitis of GSUS,synovitis of PDUS,myotenositis/tenosynovitis of GSUS and myotenositis/tenosynovitis of PDUS scores in US7 system were found in both 2 groups at baseline,3 months and 6 months after treatment (all P＜0.01).There was no statistical difference of ES before and after treatment in all cases (P＞0.05).The factors of US7 were positively correlated with DAS28,C-RP and ESR in different extent.Condusion US7 is a viable tool for examining patients with RA.