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Updated: Jul 20, 2025
Author Spotlight: Enhancing Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Through HR-pQCT Imaging Analysis
Published on: October 6, 2023
Role of inflammatory burden and treatment on joint space width in psoriatic arthritis-a high-resolution peripheral
Yingzhao Jin1,2, Isaac T Cheng1, Ho So1
1Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
Background:
To investigate the relationship between disease-related parameters and joint space width (JSW) on high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients.
Methods:
PsA patients who underwent HR-pQCT examination of the second to fourth metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ 2-4) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The joint space metrics included joint space volume (JSV), mean, minimum, and maximum JSW, JSW asymmetry, and distribution. Correlation analysis and multivariable linear regression models were used to determine the association between disease-related variables and JSW.
Results:
Sixty-seven patients [37 (55.2%) males; median (IQR) age: 57.0 (53.0, 63.0); median disease duration: 21 (16, 28) years] were included in this analysis. Multivariable linear regression analysis demonstrated that males had larger JSV (MCPJ 2-4), mean (MCPJ 4), and maximum JSW (MCPJ 3). Longer disease duration (MCPJ 2-3) and higher ESR values (MCPJ 3) were negatively associated with mean and maximum JSW, while higher damage joint count was negatively associated with mean and minimum JSW (MCPJ 2). Use of conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) was negatively associated with minimum JSW (MCPJ 3) while use of biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) was positively associated with minimum JSW (MCPJ 2).
Conclusion:
Higher inflammatory burden as reflected by longer disease duration, higher ESR levels, and damage joint count was negatively associated with mean, maximum, and minimum JSW, while suppression of inflammation using bDMARDs seems to limit the decline in JSW.
