Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Correlation between synovial blood flow signals and serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Modern Rheumatology

Abstract

The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between synovial blood flow signals and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) involved in angiogenesis by Doppler ultrasound. Twenty-one patients meeting the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) were enrolled in this study. Doppler ultrasound signals of blood flow in the wrist synovial membrane were measured and classified into three grades: grade 1 = no flow; grade 2 = mild flow; grade 3 = intense flow. A significant correlation was observed between blood flow signals in the wrist synovial membrane and serum VEGF levels (r = 0.5681, P = 0.0072). These results suggest that the measurement of Doppler ultrasound signals of blood flow in the wrist synovial membrane is useful in the evaluation of angiogenesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Koch AE. The role of angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis: recent developments. Ann Rheum Dis. 2000;59(Suppl 1):i65–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Klauser A, Frauscher F, Schirmer M, Halpern E, Pallwein L, Herold M, et al. The value of contrast-enhanced color Doppler ultrasound in the detection of vascularization of finger joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2002;46:647–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Takahashi A, Sato A, Yamadera Y, Takeda I, Kanno T, Ohguchi Y, et al. Doppler sonographic evaluation of effect of treatment with infliximab (Remicade) for rheumatoid arthritis. Mod Rheumatol. 2005;15:37–40.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kasukawa R, Yamadera Y, Takahashi A, Takeda I, Kanno T. Power Doppler sonography for detection of intraarticular vascularization in knee joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Mod Rheumatol.. 2004;14:149–53.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Shio K, Homma F, Kanno Y, Yamadera Y, Ohguchi Y, Nishimaki T, et al. Doppler sonographic comparative study on usefulness of synovial vascularity between knee and metacarpophalangeal joints for evaluation of articular inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated by infliximab. Mod Rheumatol. 2006;16:220–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Qvistgaard E, Røgind H, Torp-Pedersen S, Terslev L, Danneskiold-Samsøe B, Bliddal H. Quantitative ultrasonography in rheumatoid arthritis: evaluation of inflammation by Doppler technique. Ann Rheum Dis. 2001;60:690–3.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Filippucci E, Iagnocco A, Salaffi F, Cerioni A, Valesini G, Grassi W. Power Doppler sonography monitoring of synovial perfusion at the wrist joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with adalimumab. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:1433–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Carotti M, Salaffi F, Manganelli P, Salera D, Simonetti B, Grassi W. Power Doppler sonography in the assessment of synovial tissue of the knee joint in rheumatoid arthritis: a preliminary experience. Ann Rheum Dis. 2002;61:877–82.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Carvalho JF, Blank M, Shoenfeld Y. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in autoimmune diseases. J Clin Immunol. 2007;27:246–56.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ballara S, Taylor PC, Reusch P, Marmé D, Feldmann M, Maini RN, et al. Raised serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels are associated with destructive change in inflammatory arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2001;44:2055–64.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Clavel G, Bessis N, Lemeiter D, Fardellone P, Mejjad O, Ménard JF, et al. Angiogenesis markers (VEGF, soluble receptor of VEGF and angiopoietin-1) in very early arthritis and their association with inflammation and joint destruction. Clin Immunol. 2007;124:158–64.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kurosaka D, Yoshida K, Yasuda J, Yasuda C, Noda K, Furuya K, et al. The effect of endostatin evaluated in an experimental animal model of collagen-induced arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol. 2007;36:434–41.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Newman JS, Laing TJ, McCarthy CJ, Adler RS. Power Doppler sonography of synovitis: assessment of therapeutic response—preliminary observations. Radiology. 1996;198:582–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Strunk J, Heinemann E, Neeck G, Schmidt KL, Lange U. A new approach to studying angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis by means of power Doppler ultrasonography and measurement of serum vascular endothelial growth factor. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2004;43:1480–3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan

    Daitaro Kurosaka, Kenichiro Hirai, Ken Yoshida, Eigo Takahashi, Taro Ukichi, Kentaro Noda, Maimi Yanagimachi, Kazuhiro Furuya & Akio Yamada

  2. Department of Radiology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan

    Makiko Nishioka, Yukio Miyamoto & Kunihiko Fukuda

Authors
  1. Daitaro Kurosaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kenichiro Hirai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Makiko Nishioka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yukio Miyamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ken Yoshida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Eigo Takahashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Taro Ukichi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Kentaro Noda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Maimi Yanagimachi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Kazuhiro Furuya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Kunihiko Fukuda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Akio Yamada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daitaro Kurosaka.

About this article

Cite this article

Kurosaka, D., Hirai, K., Nishioka, M. et al. Correlation between synovial blood flow signals and serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis. Mod Rheumatol 19, 187–191 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-008-0146-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-008-0146-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation