Outcomes of switching anti-TNF drugs in rheumatoid arthritis--a study based on observational data from the Finnish Register of Biological Treatment (ROB-FIN).

The aim of this study was to assess, based on observational data from the Finnish Register of Biological Treatment, the outcomes of switching an initial tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker to another in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA patients, who started biological therapy with a TNF blocker between May 1999 and April 2009 and who switched to another TNF blocker, were studied (n=479). The outcomes were assessed according to the reason for and type of the switch.

Small bone lesions resembling erosions can frequently be found in bilateral wrist MRI of healthy individuals.

Objective: To examine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for bone lesions typical of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the wrist joints of healthy individuals.

Methods: Thirty-one symptomless healthy persons (13/18 men/women), mean age 49 years (range 32-64 years), were included. MRI scans and radiographs of both wrists were obtained (62 wrists).

Bone oedema predicts erosive progression on wrist MRI in early RA--a 2-yr observational MRI and NC scintigraphy study.

Objectives: To investigate if disease assessment by contrast-enhanced dynamic and static magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantitative nanocolloid (NC) scintigraphy gives useful additional information in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Twenty-seven patients with early RA (disease duration < or =12 months) were followed up for 1 yr and 24 of them for 2 yrs with contrast-enhanced MRI and NC scintigraphy of the wrist joint. Synovial inflammation was assessed by measuring time-dependent enhancement rates (E-rate) from dynamic MRI scans and technetium(99m)-labelled nanocolloid ((99m)Tc-NC) uptake from scintigraphy scans.

Contrast-enhanced dynamic and static MRI correlates with quantitative 99Tcm-labelled nanocolloid scintigraphy. Study of early rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of contrast-enhanced dynamic and static magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantitative 99Tcm-labelled nanocolloid (NC) scintigraphy in detecting wrist joint inflammation in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods: Twenty-eight early RA patients (median symptom duration 5 months, range 1-12 months) underwent MRI, NC scintigraphy, laboratory and clinical examinations. Static wrist MRI scans were retrospectively scored for synovitis, bone oedema and erosions by two independent readers using the recently published rheumatoid arthritis MRI scoring system (RAMRIS).