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Knee alterations in rheumatoid arthritis: Comparison of US and MRI

  • Lu Xiao ORCID logo EMAIL logo , Yanyan Huang and Feng Zhan
Published/Copyright: June 24, 2021

Abstract

Objective

This study was designed to compare the diagnostic efficacy of ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting changes in the knee of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and discover the possible association between the serological index and bone erosion detected by US.

Patients and methods

In this retrospective study, the US images and MRI findings of the knee in patients with RA from December 2017 to January 2020 were evaluated. Diagnostic outcomes were compared. The rheumatoid factor, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) levels of the patients were recorded. The relation between laboratory index and US findings was analyzed by multivariable logistic regression.

Results

US showed remarkable accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in diagnosing synovitis, bone erosion, and soft tissue swelling. In terms of reliability, the agreement between US and MRI was moderate to almost perfect. Meanwhile, a positive association between ACPA level and bone erosion was observed in patients with RA.

Conclusions

US may have a role as the initial imaging modality in patients with RA. Patients with higher ACPA levels may need more active treatment because they are more likely to have bone erosion detected by US.

1 Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic systemic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, affects approximately 1% of the world population, 50% of whom being unable to work within 10 years of the disease onset [1]. Meanwhile, RA is the most prevalent inflammatory arthropathy that is responsible for joint structural destruction [2]. Therefore, early diagnosis to optimize the tight control of disease activity seemed to be notably important to reduce joint structural damage [3,4].

In daily clinical practice, conventional radiography remains the mainstay for the evaluation of patients with RA [5]. However, X-ray examination could only show late bone deformity [6]. Nowadays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US) are gradually applied in clinical practice to detect early changes and inflammation in the joints of patients with RA. US is actively applied in disease management and early diagnosis, as it is safe, noninvasive, and low-cost, and contains non-ionizing radiation. Several studies have shown that US can detect more erosion than X-ray, especially at the early stage of RA [7]. High-resolution musculoskeletal US can demonstrate consistent and reproducible results according to trained rheumatologists [8]. Despite increasing efforts on the validation and reliability of US in the evaluation of small joints, evidence for larger joints, such as the knee, is still limited [9]. Although RA mostly influences the small joints in the hands and wrist, it also affects larger joints as the disease progresses; the knee is influenced in 90% of patients [10]. Knees are vital weight-bearing joints, and the limitation of motion in the knee joint will cause severe disability. Hence, discovering early changes in the knee joint during the disease course via a more accessible way is of great importance. In this study, we aimed to determine the accuracy and consistency of US in discovering knee changes in patients with RA and compare the diagnostic performance of US with that of MRI to offer a more convenient method in the early diagnosis field.

The frequently used serological indicators of RA include erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA). Among them, ACPA is proven to be the main predictive factor of bone erosion on plain film [11]. However, the link between serological parameters and the bone erosion detected by US has not been discussed previously. Bone erosion may consequently result in joint deformity. Therefore, figuring out the possible factors associated with bone erosion is very meaningful in the identification of high-risk individuals and may have implications for patient information and management.

In conclusion, our research plans to determine the accuracy of US in evaluating knee joint pathologies and the possible association between serological parameters and the bone erosion detected by US to provide possible predictors of disease progression.

2 Patients and methods

2.1 Patient selection

In this retrospective study, one hundred patients diagnosed with RA according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Classification and Scoring Criteria in the Outpatient and Inpatient Department of Rheumatology of Hainan General Hospital from December 2017 to January 2020 were enrolled [12]. Exclusion criteria included the following: younger than 18 years of age, severe knee joint deformity, and history of knee surgery/trauma and bacterial infection (such as purulent arthritis) in the knee.

  1. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This research was approved by the ethics committee of Hainan General Hospital. Subjects were informed of and provided written consent to the experimental protocol and procedures. The ethical approval number was MED-ETH-RE [2020]12.

  2. Consent for publication: Informed consent was obtained from all patients before they participated in the study.

2.2 Clinical data and laboratory measures

We collected demographic data of each patient, including age and mean disease duration. Blood samples were obtained from an antecubital vein in the morning to determine CRP, ESR, RF, and ACPA levels.

2.3 US and MRI data

Philips high-grade color ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a 10–18 MHz linear array probe were used for ultrasonic investigation. An US doctor who had more than 5 years of experience and was blinded to the clinical examination and MRI findings conducted the investigation. A fixed protocol following the technical guidelines of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology for knee scanning was applied [13]. Patients were laid in a supine position with knees flexed to 60° to explore the different parts of the knee. The US classification standards of different pathologies were followed according to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials US group definition [14]. Inflammatory and structural changes were graded as present or absent (score 0 or 1). The results of US were read by one radiologist and one rheumatologist who were blinded to the clinical diagnosis and MRI findings. When their conclusions were different, the final US diagnosis was made by consulting the director of US.

MRI scans were made using a 3.0T MRI scanner (GE Signa Horizon Echospeed, LX9.0, General Electric Medical Systems, Milwaukee). The MRI sequences were chosen in close collaboration with an MRI technician and musculoskeletal radiologist. Coronal, sagittal, and axial T1-weighted fat-suppressed pre-/postintravenous gadolinium (0.1 mmol Gd/kg body weight; Magnevist, Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Leverkusen, Germany) images were acquired through 3D dual-echo technique. Patients were in a supine position with the knee joint extension placed in a dedicated extremity coil centrally in the magnetic field. Inflammatory and structural changes were graded as present or absent (score 0 or 1). The MRI results were read by one radiologist and one rheumatologist who were blinded to the clinical diagnosis and US findings. When their conclusions were different, the final MRI diagnosis was made by consulting the director of radiology.

The presence of synovitis, ligament injury, tenosynovitis, joint space narrowing, bone erosion, and soft tissue (including the periarticular muscle, ligament, and tendon) swelling was analyzed by US and MRI.

2.4 Statistical analysis

SPSS 20.0, statistical software, was used to analyze the data. Quantitative clinical and demographic variables are reported as mean ± standard deviation. The comparison of the quantitative values was performed with Student’s t-test for paired samples, and the McNemar test was used for qualitative values. The results of US and MRI diagnosis were considered dichotomous data (absent/present). Reliability is quantified by the value of kappa (<0 means poor agreement, 0.0–0.2 means slight agreement, 0.21–0.40 means fair agreement, 0.41–0.60 means moderate agreement, 0.61–0.8 means substantial agreement, and 0.81–1.00 means almost perfect agreement). The association between the laboratory parameters and US findings was analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. P < 0.05 was considered to be significant.

3 Results

3.1 Demographic characteristics of patients

One hundred patients (10 males and 90 females) with RA who consulted Hainan General Hospital from December 2017 to January 2020 and met our inclusion criteria were included in this study. The demographic data of the patients are summarized in Table 1. The mean age was 53.5 ± 9.5 years. The mean disease duration was 15.5 ± 7.3 months. The mean levels of CRP, ESR, RF, and ACPA were 45.5 ± 38.1 mg/L, 66.5 ± 35.3 mm/h, 254.7 ± 237.1 IU/mL, and 99.8 ± 86.2 IU/mL, respectively.

Table 1

Demographics and clinical characteristics of the patients

Patient characteristics Results
Gender (male/female) 10/90
Mean age (years) 53.5 ± 9.5
Mean duration of disease (months) 15.5 ± 7.3
CRP (mg/L) 45.5 ± 38.1
ESR (mm/h) 66.5 ± 35.3
RF (IU/mL) 254.7 ± 237.1
CCP (IU/mL) 99.8 ± 86.2

Data presented as mean ± SD or number of patients, CRP: C-reactive protein, ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, RF: rheumatoid factor, CPC: anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody.

3.2 Comparison of US and MRI of knee joint examination in the diagnosis of patients with RA

As shown in Figure 1, the common abnormalities detected by US were joint effusion (95%), synovitis (90%), soft tissue swelling (75%), ligament injury (45%), bone erosion (40%), joint space narrowing (20%), and tenosynovitis (15%). The common pathologies detected by MRI were joint effusion (90%) synovitis (85%), ligament injury (75%), soft tissue swelling (60%), bone erosion (45%), joint space narrowing (30%), and tenosynovitis (15%). The diagnostic performance of US and MRI in evaluating the pathological changes in knee joints was compared. As shown in Table 2, US had high sensitivity and specificity in bone erosion, joint space narrowing, and synovitis detection.

Figure 1 
                  US and MRI findings of patients with RA.
Figure 1

US and MRI findings of patients with RA.

Table 2

Comparison of ultrasound versus MRI in detecting knee pathologies

US findings Sensitivity (%) Specificity (%) PPV (%) NPV (%)
Synovitis 94.4 66.7 66.7 50
Ligament injury 66.7 100 100 44.4
Joint effusion 100 50 95.4 50
Tenosynovitis 66.7 94.4 66.7 94.4
Joint space narrowing 66.7 100 100 78.7
Bone erosion 88.9 100 100 91.6
Soft tissue swelling 100 62.5 80 100

PPV, positive predictive value; NPV, negative predictive value.

3.3 Comparison of US and MRI in the evaluation of the different knee pathologies in patients with RA

The reliability of US compared with MRI findings was measured using kappa agreement, and the results are shown in Table 3. US revealed at least moderate agreement with MRI in diagnosing different lesions of the knee joints in the patients with RA. The agreement in the diagnosis of synovitis (substantial, kappa = 0.78, P < 0.05), ligament injury (moderate, kappa = 0.43, P < 0.05), joint effusion (substantial, kappa = 0.64, P < 0.05), tenosynovitis (substantial, kappa = 0.61, P < 0.05), joint space narrowing (substantial, kappa = 0.74, P < 0.05), bone erosion (almost perfect, kappa = 0.89, P < 0.05), and soft tissue swelling (substantial, kappa = 0.67, P < 0.05) is listed in Table 3.

Table 3

Comparison of ultrasound and MRI in the evaluation of different knee pathologies

Knee pathology US (n) MRI (n) kappa P value
Synovitis 90 85 0.78 <0.001
Ligament injury 45 75 0.43 0.020
Joint effusion 95 90 0.64 0.002
Tenosynovitis 15 15 0.61 0.007
Joint space narrowing 20 30 0.74 0.001
Bone erosion 40 45 0.89 <0.001
Soft tissue swelling 75 60 0.67 0.002

3.4 Correlation between US detecting bone erosion and different parameters

Multivariable logistic regression was applied to clarify the relation between the level of laboratory parameters and US-detected bone erosion. The results are shown in Table 4. Statistically significant associations were found between ACPA levels and the bone erosion detected by US (odds ratio = 1.017, 95% confidence interval = 1.001–1.033; P = 0.038).

Table 4

Correlation between the US detecting bone erosion and different parameters

P-value OR 95% CI
Duration of disease 0.473 1.002 0.996–1.008
CCP 0.038* 1.017 1.001–1.033
RF 0.402 1.005 0.993–1.018
ESR 0.210 0.962 0.905–1.022
CRP 0.412 1.031 0.959–1.107

CPC: anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, RF: rheumatoid factor, ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP: C-reactive protein, OR: odds ratios, CI: confidence intervals, *P < 0.05.

4 Discussion

RA is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovitis and bone erosion. RA always has an agonizing long-term course in patients who are not diagnosed and treated in time. Thus, early diagnosis to optimize the tight control of disease activity is notably important. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic efficacy of US compared with MRI in detecting knee changes in patients with RA, and the possible association between serological parameters and the bone erosion detected by US to provide a possible predictor of RA progression. Several important results of this research, which might have implications in clinical practice and future research, should be paid attention to. First, our study determined that US may play an important role in the initial imaging modality of RA. US has satisfactory accuracy compared with MRI in detecting different knee lesions. Second, patients with higher ACPA levels are more likely to have bone erosion detected by US. Therefore, these patients may need to be monitored more intensively. The results may have implications for RA information and management.

US displays a remarkable performance in diagnosing inflammatory lesions and assessing structural damage with the development of high-frequency US technology [15,16]. US offers many advantages, such as accessibility, low cost, and lack of irradiation [17]. It demonstrates good intra- and inter-reliability in the diagnosis of RA and other musculoskeletal diseases [17,18,19]. In the present research, we found that US showed satisfactory accuracy in diagnosing synovitis, bone erosion, and soft tissue swelling when compared with MRI. Kappa agreement was conducted to evaluate the consistency of the results between US and MRI. The agreement between US and MRI was substantial to almost perfect in detecting synovitis, ligament injury, tenosynovitis, joint space narrowing, bone erosion, and soft tissue swelling. Previous studies that also focused on the accuracy of US drew the same conclusions as ours. A study conducted in 2019 reported that US is an accurate and reliable tool in detecting shoulder pathologies [20]. Luminița and his colleagues provided the same conclusion about the ankle [21]. Thus, US may play an important role in the initial imaging modality of the knee in patients with RA.

In the meantime, we tried to discover the possible association between serological parameters and the bone erosion detected by US. We found a positive association between ACPA level and bone erosion. The presence of ACPA is the main predictive factor of bone erosion in radiographs [12]. However, the possible association with US has not been demonstrated. ACPA, as a polypeptide fragment of cyclic filaggrin, is an IgG type that is considered an ideal serological marker for RA diagnosis because of its high sensitivity and specificity [22,23]. In 2019, some experts proved that the presence of ACPA is associated with new bone erosion in patients with RA treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. In 2018, an 11-year cohort study has shown that the baseline level of ACPA predicts erosive progression. These outcomes partly agree with ours. Furthermore, ACPA is regarded as an essential marker related to bone loss and alterations in skeletal metabolism even before the clinical onset of RA [24]. Haag et al. demonstrated that ACPA contributes to the induction of joint inflammation in RA [25]. Consequently, ACPA may play a role in joint bone erosion. Hence, patients with higher ACPA levels could suffer from bone erosion earlier which indicated that these patients need to be monitored more intensively.

In the interpretation of our results, the following limitations require careful discussion. First, only one hundred patients with RA were recruited. The modest sample size might increase the possibility of type II error. A larger group of patients would probably strengthen the results. Second, our study is a retrospective study; therefore, the patients’ Disease Activity Score-28 for RA was difficult to obtain for clinical comparison. As a result, a more precisely designed prospective study is needed to further assess these potentially promising findings.


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Acknowledgments

We are very thankful to all participants for their cooperation in this study. We thank all the staff for their dedication.

  1. Funding information: This research was supported by the Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(820QN386) and the project of Hainan general hospital (QN 202009).

  2. Author contributions: Lu Xiao and Feng Zhan conceived and supervised the study; Lu Xiao designed experiments; Lu Xiao and Yanyan Huang performed experiments; Lu Xiao wrote the manuscript; and Feng Zhan revised the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

  3. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

  4. Data availability statement: The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Received: 2020-09-25
Revised: 2021-05-08
Accepted: 2021-05-16
Published Online: 2021-06-24

© 2021 Lu Xiao et al., published by De Gruyter

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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  85. Real-world evidence of cytomegalovirus reactivation in non-Hodgkin lymphomas treated with bendamustine-containing regimens
  86. Relation between IL-8 level and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
  87. circAGFG1 sponges miR-28-5p to promote non-small-cell lung cancer progression through modulating HIF-1α level
  88. Nomogram prediction model for renal anaemia in IgA nephropathy patients
  89. Effect of antibiotic use on the efficacy of nivolumab in the treatment of advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis
  90. NDRG2 inhibition facilitates angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma
  91. A nomogram for predicting metabolic steatohepatitis: The combination of NAMPT, RALGDS, GADD45B, FOSL2, RTP3, and RASD1
  92. Clinical and prognostic features of MMP-2 and VEGF in AEG patients
  93. The value of miR-510 in the prognosis and development of colon cancer
  94. Functional implications of PABPC1 in the development of ovarian cancer
  95. Prognostic value of preoperative inflammation-based predictors in patients with bladder carcinoma after radical cystectomy
  96. Sublingual immunotherapy increases Treg/Th17 ratio in allergic rhinitis
  97. Prediction of improvement after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
  98. Effluent Osteopontin levels reflect the peritoneal solute transport rate
  99. circ_0038467 promotes PM2.5-induced bronchial epithelial cell dysfunction
  100. Significance of miR-141 and miR-340 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma
  101. Association between hair cortisol concentration and metabolic syndrome
  102. Microvessel density as a prognostic indicator of prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
  103. Characteristics of BCR–ABL gene variants in patients of chronic myeloid leukemia
  104. Knee alterations in rheumatoid arthritis: Comparison of US and MRI
  105. Long non-coding RNA TUG1 aggravates cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury by sponging miR-493-3p/miR-410-3p
  106. lncRNA MALAT1 regulated ATAD2 to facilitate retinoblastoma progression via miR-655-3p
  107. Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting severity in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome: A retrospective study
  108. Analysis of COVID-19 outbreak origin in China in 2019 using differentiation method for unusual epidemiological events
  109. Laparoscopic versus open major liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: A case-matched analysis of short- and long-term outcomes
  110. Travelers’ vaccines and their adverse events in Nara, Japan
  111. Association between Tfh and PGA in children with Henoch–Schönlein purpura
  112. Can exchange transfusion be replaced by double-LED phototherapy?
  113. circ_0005962 functions as an oncogene to aggravate NSCLC progression
  114. Circular RNA VANGL1 knockdown suppressed viability, promoted apoptosis, and increased doxorubicin sensitivity through targeting miR-145-5p to regulate SOX4 in bladder cancer cells
  115. Serum intact fibroblast growth factor 23 in healthy paediatric population
  116. Algorithm of rational approach to reconstruction in Fournier’s disease
  117. A meta-analysis of exosome in the treatment of spinal cord injury
  118. Src-1 and SP2 promote the proliferation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
  119. Dexmedetomidine may decrease the bupivacaine toxicity to heart
  120. Hypoxia stimulates the migration and invasion of osteosarcoma via up-regulating the NUSAP1 expression
  121. Long noncoding RNA XIST knockdown relieves the injury of microglia cells after spinal cord injury by sponging miR-219-5p
  122. External fixation via the anterior inferior iliac spine for proximal femoral fractures in young patients
  123. miR-128-3p reduced acute lung injury induced by sepsis via targeting PEL12
  124. HAGLR promotes neuron differentiation through the miR-130a-3p-MeCP2 axis
  125. Phosphoglycerate mutase 2 is elevated in serum of patients with heart failure and correlates with the disease severity and patient’s prognosis
  126. Cell population data in identifying active tuberculosis and community-acquired pneumonia
  127. Prognostic value of microRNA-4521 in non-small cell lung cancer and its regulatory effect on tumor progression
  128. Mean platelet volume and red blood cell distribution width is associated with prognosis in premature neonates with sepsis
  129. 3D-printed porous scaffold promotes osteogenic differentiation of hADMSCs
  130. Association of gene polymorphisms with women urinary incontinence
  131. Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on stress levels of urologic patients
  132. miR-496 inhibits proliferation via LYN and AKT pathway in gastric cancer
  133. miR-519d downregulates LEP expression to inhibit preeclampsia development
  134. Comparison of single- and triple-port VATS for lung cancer: A meta-analysis
  135. Fluorescent light energy modulates healing in skin grafted mouse model
  136. Silencing CDK6-AS1 inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory damage in HK-2 cells
  137. Predictive effect of DCE-MRI and DWI in brain metastases from NSCLC
  138. Severe postoperative hyperbilirubinemia in congenital heart disease
  139. Baicalin improves podocyte injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway
  140. Clinical factors predicting ureteral stent failure in patients with external ureteral compression
  141. Novel H2S donor proglumide-ADT-OH protects HUVECs from ox-LDL-induced injury through NF-κB and JAK/SATA pathway
  142. Triple-Endobutton and clavicular hook: A propensity score matching analysis
  143. Long noncoding RNA MIAT inhibits the progression of diabetic nephropathy and the activation of NF-κB pathway in high glucose-treated renal tubular epithelial cells by the miR-182-5p/GPRC5A axis
  144. Serum exosomal miR-122-5p, GAS, and PGR in the non-invasive diagnosis of CAG
  145. miR-513b-5p inhibits the proliferation and promotes apoptosis of retinoblastoma cells by targeting TRIB1
  146. Fer exacerbates renal fibrosis and can be targeted by miR-29c-3p
  147. The diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-92a in gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
  148. Prognostic value of α2δ1 in hypopharyngeal carcinoma: A retrospective study
  149. No significant benefit of moderate-dose vitamin C on severe COVID-19 cases
  150. circ_0000467 promotes the proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis in colorectal cancer cells through regulating KLF12 expression by sponging miR-4766-5p
  151. Downregulation of RAB7 and Caveolin-1 increases MMP-2 activity in renal tubular epithelial cells under hypoxic conditions
  152. Educational program for orthopedic surgeons’ influences for osteoporosis
  153. Expression and function analysis of CRABP2 and FABP5, and their ratio in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
  154. GJA1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by mediating TGF-β-induced activation and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition of hepatic stellate cells
  155. lncRNA-ZFAS1 promotes the progression of endometrial carcinoma by targeting miR-34b to regulate VEGFA expression
  156. Anticoagulation is the answer in treating noncritical COVID-19 patients
  157. Effect of late-onset hemorrhagic cystitis on PFS after haplo-PBSCT
  158. Comparison of Dako HercepTest and Ventana PATHWAY anti-HER2 (4B5) tests and their correlation with silver in situ hybridization in lung adenocarcinoma
  159. VSTM1 regulates monocyte/macrophage function via the NF-κB signaling pathway
  160. Comparison of vaginal birth outcomes in midwifery-led versus physician-led setting: A propensity score-matched analysis
  161. Treatment of osteoporosis with teriparatide: The Slovenian experience
  162. New targets of morphine postconditioning protection of the myocardium in ischemia/reperfusion injury: Involvement of HSP90/Akt and C5a/NF-κB
  163. Superenhancer–transcription factor regulatory network in malignant tumors
  164. β-Cell function is associated with osteosarcopenia in middle-aged and older nonobese patients with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study
  165. Clinical features of atypical tuberculosis mimicking bacterial pneumonia
  166. Proteoglycan-depleted regions of annular injury promote nerve ingrowth in a rabbit disc degeneration model
  167. Effect of electromagnetic field on abortion: A systematic review and meta-analysis
  168. miR-150-5p affects AS plaque with ASMC proliferation and migration by STAT1
  169. MALAT1 promotes malignant pleural mesothelioma by sponging miR-141-3p
  170. Effects of remifentanil and propofol on distant organ lung injury in an ischemia–reperfusion model
  171. miR-654-5p promotes gastric cancer progression via the GPRIN1/NF-κB pathway
  172. Identification of LIG1 and LIG3 as prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer
  173. MitoQ inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis by enhancing PINK1/parkin-mediated mitophagy
  174. Dissecting role of founder mutation p.V727M in GNE in Indian HIBM cohort
  175. circATP2A2 promotes osteosarcoma progression by upregulating MYH9
  176. Prognostic role of oxytocin receptor in colon adenocarcinoma
  177. Review Articles
  178. The function of non-coding RNAs in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
  179. Efficacy and safety of therapeutic plasma exchange in stiff person syndrome
  180. Role of cesarean section in the development of neonatal gut microbiota: A systematic review
  181. Small cell lung cancer transformation during antitumor therapies: A systematic review
  182. Research progress of gut microbiota and frailty syndrome
  183. Recommendations for outpatient activity in COVID-19 pandemic
  184. Rapid Communication
  185. Disparity in clinical characteristics between 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia and leptospirosis
  186. Use of microspheres in embolization for unruptured renal angiomyolipomas
  187. COVID-19 cases with delayed absorption of lung lesion
  188. A triple combination of treatments on moderate COVID-19
  189. Social networks and eating disorders during the Covid-19 pandemic
  190. Letter
  191. COVID-19, WHO guidelines, pedagogy, and respite
  192. Inflammatory factors in alveolar lavage fluid from severe COVID-19 pneumonia: PCT and IL-6 in epithelial lining fluid
  193. COVID-19: Lessons from Norway tragedy must be considered in vaccine rollout planning in least developed/developing countries
  194. What is the role of plasma cell in the lamina propria of terminal ileum in Good’s syndrome patient?
  195. Case Report
  196. Rivaroxaban triggered multifocal intratumoral hemorrhage of the cabozantinib-treated diffuse brain metastases: A case report and review of literature
  197. CTU findings of duplex kidney in kidney: A rare duplicated renal malformation
  198. Synchronous primary malignancy of colon cancer and mantle cell lymphoma: A case report
  199. Sonazoid-enhanced ultrasonography and pathologic characters of CD68 positive cell in primary hepatic perivascular epithelioid cell tumors: A case report and literature review
  200. Persistent SARS-CoV-2-positive over 4 months in a COVID-19 patient with CHB
  201. Pulmonary parenchymal involvement caused by Tropheryma whipplei
  202. Mediastinal mixed germ cell tumor: A case report and literature review
  203. Ovarian female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin – Case report
  204. Rare paratesticular aggressive angiomyxoma mimicking an epididymal tumor in an 82-year-old man: Case report
  205. Perimenopausal giant hydatidiform mole complicated with preeclampsia and hyperthyroidism: A case report and literature review
  206. Primary orbital ganglioneuroblastoma: A case report
  207. Primary aortic intimal sarcoma masquerading as intramural hematoma
  208. Sustained false-positive results for hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin M: A case report and literature review
  209. Peritoneal loose body presenting as a hepatic mass: A case report and review of the literature
  210. Chondroblastoma of mandibular condyle: Case report and literature review
  211. Trauma-induced complete pacemaker lead fracture 8 months prior to hospitalization: A case report
  212. Primary intradural extramedullary extraosseous Ewing’s sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PIEES/PNET) of the thoracolumbar spine: A case report and literature review
  213. Computer-assisted preoperative planning of reduction of and osteosynthesis of scapular fracture: A case report
  214. High quality of 58-month life in lung cancer patient with brain metastases sequentially treated with gefitinib and osimertinib
  215. Rapid response of locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma to apatinib: A case report
  216. Retrieval of intrarenal coiled and ruptured guidewire by retrograde intrarenal surgery: A case report and literature review
  217. Usage of intermingled skin allografts and autografts in a senior patient with major burn injury
  218. Retraction
  219. Retraction on “Dihydromyricetin attenuates inflammation through TLR4/NF-kappa B pathway”
  220. Special Issue Computational Intelligence Methodologies Meets Recurrent Cancers - Part I
  221. An artificial immune system with bootstrap sampling for the diagnosis of recurrent endometrial cancers
  222. Breast cancer recurrence prediction with ensemble methods and cost-sensitive learning
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