| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 醫事技術學研究所 === 93 === Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and potentially crippling disease characterized by systemic inflammation, bone erosion and joint tissue degradation. Laboratory tests (serum CRP and ESR) and even imaging methods (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and radiography) can not provide accurate information for local bone erosion or systemic bone loss. In the present study, thirty six RA patients were examined by disease activity using index 28 (DAS28), radiography (Sharp score), and measurement of ten biomarkers. The Sharp scores and MRI images were carefully scored. Twenty patients of thirty-six patients were continuously followed-up for 9 month periods. The results showed no significant difference of data at the four time points in the 20 patients. However, DAS28 showed clear correlations with joint space narrowing [JSN] of Sharp scores and MRI edema, while MRI erosion scores was correlated well with erosion of Sharp score [ERO] on radiography. Further investigation of data at baseline of 36 patients suggested that CRP and pyridinoline [PYD] can also be correlated well with DAS28, meanwhile urinary C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen [CTX-I], YKL-40 and PYD demonstrated good correlations with Sharp score. The individual data of three RA patients, collected during the following six months, confirmed this high correlation between PYD, YKL-40 and Sharp scores. In MRI features at four time points in 20 patients, close relationships have also been found in between “erosions” and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein [COMP], anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody [CCP], osteocalcin and urinary C-terminal telopeptide of type II collagen [CTX-II]; “edema” and osteocalcin and urinary CTX-II; “synovitis" and urinary CTX-I.
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