Ultrasonography 'useful for measuring effectiveness of anti-TNF treatments'
The results of a large multi-centre trial have indicated that ultrasonography is an effective way to monitor the effects on anti-TNF treatments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Researchers from Hospital Severo Ochoa in Spain published their findings in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.
The trial involved 367 individuals with RA being treated at 25 medical centres in Spain.
Power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) was used to assess response to anti-TNF therapy over a one-year period.
At the study's start, and again after one, three, six and 12 months, the PDUS was used on the patients to check disease progression. It was also checked using clinical and laboratory methods and with radiography.
It was found that PDUS recorded results that were very similar to those obtained using disease activity score questionnaires. In addition, the researchers suggested that the PDUS was able to detect smaller changes that other methods.
As a result, Dr Esperanza Naredo and the rest of the team concluded: "These findings indicate that PDUS is a valid method for monitoring response to anti-TNF therapy in RA; results obtained by PDUS are reproducible and sensitive to change.
"PDUS findings may have predictive value in relation to radiologic outcome."
A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said: "Ultrasound is becoming increasingly important both as diagnostic tool and as a means of measuring the effects of therapies on joints."
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