Fibrocytes in early and long-standing rheumatoid arthritis: a 6-month trial with repeated synovial biopsy, imaging and lung function test.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To correlate the level of fibrocytes in peripheral blood, synovial tissue and in vitro culture in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with changes in disease activity, imaging and pulmonary function.

Methods

Twenty patients with early RA (ERA) and 20 patients with long-standing RA (LRA) were enrolled in a 6-month prospective study. Sixteen patients undergoing wrist arthroscopy were healthy controls. Patients with RA underwent pulmonary function tests, ultrasound and synovial ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the same wrist at baseline and 6 months. Wrist MRI was performed at baseline (all) and 6 months (ERA). Circulating fibrocytes were measured by flow cytometry, in vitro by the number of monocytes that were differentiated to fibrocytes and in synovial biopsies by countin

SUBMITTER: Just SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7938972 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature