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.
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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.
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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.
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.

US and MRI findings of patients with RA.
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.
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).
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.
Acknowledgments
We are very thankful to all participants for their cooperation in this study. We thank all the staff for their dedication.
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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).
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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.
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Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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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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© 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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- Clinical and prognostic features of MMP-2 and VEGF in AEG patients
- The value of miR-510 in the prognosis and development of colon cancer
- Functional implications of PABPC1 in the development of ovarian cancer
- Prognostic value of preoperative inflammation-based predictors in patients with bladder carcinoma after radical cystectomy
- Sublingual immunotherapy increases Treg/Th17 ratio in allergic rhinitis
- Prediction of improvement after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
- Effluent Osteopontin levels reflect the peritoneal solute transport rate
- circ_0038467 promotes PM2.5-induced bronchial epithelial cell dysfunction
- Significance of miR-141 and miR-340 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma
- Association between hair cortisol concentration and metabolic syndrome
- Microvessel density as a prognostic indicator of prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Characteristics of BCR–ABL gene variants in patients of chronic myeloid leukemia
- Knee alterations in rheumatoid arthritis: Comparison of US and MRI
- Long non-coding RNA TUG1 aggravates cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury by sponging miR-493-3p/miR-410-3p
- lncRNA MALAT1 regulated ATAD2 to facilitate retinoblastoma progression via miR-655-3p
- Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting severity in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome: A retrospective study
- Analysis of COVID-19 outbreak origin in China in 2019 using differentiation method for unusual epidemiological events
- Laparoscopic versus open major liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: A case-matched analysis of short- and long-term outcomes
- Travelers’ vaccines and their adverse events in Nara, Japan
- Association between Tfh and PGA in children with Henoch–Schönlein purpura
- Can exchange transfusion be replaced by double-LED phototherapy?
- circ_0005962 functions as an oncogene to aggravate NSCLC progression
- Circular RNA VANGL1 knockdown suppressed viability, promoted apoptosis, and increased doxorubicin sensitivity through targeting miR-145-5p to regulate SOX4 in bladder cancer cells
- Serum intact fibroblast growth factor 23 in healthy paediatric population
- Algorithm of rational approach to reconstruction in Fournier’s disease
- A meta-analysis of exosome in the treatment of spinal cord injury
- Src-1 and SP2 promote the proliferation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
- Dexmedetomidine may decrease the bupivacaine toxicity to heart
- Hypoxia stimulates the migration and invasion of osteosarcoma via up-regulating the NUSAP1 expression
- Long noncoding RNA XIST knockdown relieves the injury of microglia cells after spinal cord injury by sponging miR-219-5p
- External fixation via the anterior inferior iliac spine for proximal femoral fractures in young patients
- miR-128-3p reduced acute lung injury induced by sepsis via targeting PEL12
- HAGLR promotes neuron differentiation through the miR-130a-3p-MeCP2 axis
- Phosphoglycerate mutase 2 is elevated in serum of patients with heart failure and correlates with the disease severity and patient’s prognosis
- Cell population data in identifying active tuberculosis and community-acquired pneumonia
- Prognostic value of microRNA-4521 in non-small cell lung cancer and its regulatory effect on tumor progression
- Mean platelet volume and red blood cell distribution width is associated with prognosis in premature neonates with sepsis
- 3D-printed porous scaffold promotes osteogenic differentiation of hADMSCs
- Association of gene polymorphisms with women urinary incontinence
- Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on stress levels of urologic patients
- miR-496 inhibits proliferation via LYN and AKT pathway in gastric cancer
- miR-519d downregulates LEP expression to inhibit preeclampsia development
- Comparison of single- and triple-port VATS for lung cancer: A meta-analysis
- Fluorescent light energy modulates healing in skin grafted mouse model
- Silencing CDK6-AS1 inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory damage in HK-2 cells
- Predictive effect of DCE-MRI and DWI in brain metastases from NSCLC
- Severe postoperative hyperbilirubinemia in congenital heart disease
- Baicalin improves podocyte injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway
- Clinical factors predicting ureteral stent failure in patients with external ureteral compression
- Novel H2S donor proglumide-ADT-OH protects HUVECs from ox-LDL-induced injury through NF-κB and JAK/SATA pathway
- Triple-Endobutton and clavicular hook: A propensity score matching analysis
- 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
- Serum exosomal miR-122-5p, GAS, and PGR in the non-invasive diagnosis of CAG
- miR-513b-5p inhibits the proliferation and promotes apoptosis of retinoblastoma cells by targeting TRIB1
- Fer exacerbates renal fibrosis and can be targeted by miR-29c-3p
- The diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-92a in gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Prognostic value of α2δ1 in hypopharyngeal carcinoma: A retrospective study
- No significant benefit of moderate-dose vitamin C on severe COVID-19 cases
- circ_0000467 promotes the proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis in colorectal cancer cells through regulating KLF12 expression by sponging miR-4766-5p
- Downregulation of RAB7 and Caveolin-1 increases MMP-2 activity in renal tubular epithelial cells under hypoxic conditions
- Educational program for orthopedic surgeons’ influences for osteoporosis
- Expression and function analysis of CRABP2 and FABP5, and their ratio in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
- GJA1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by mediating TGF-β-induced activation and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition of hepatic stellate cells
- lncRNA-ZFAS1 promotes the progression of endometrial carcinoma by targeting miR-34b to regulate VEGFA expression
- Anticoagulation is the answer in treating noncritical COVID-19 patients
- Effect of late-onset hemorrhagic cystitis on PFS after haplo-PBSCT
- Comparison of Dako HercepTest and Ventana PATHWAY anti-HER2 (4B5) tests and their correlation with silver in situ hybridization in lung adenocarcinoma
- VSTM1 regulates monocyte/macrophage function via the NF-κB signaling pathway
- Comparison of vaginal birth outcomes in midwifery-led versus physician-led setting: A propensity score-matched analysis
- Treatment of osteoporosis with teriparatide: The Slovenian experience
- New targets of morphine postconditioning protection of the myocardium in ischemia/reperfusion injury: Involvement of HSP90/Akt and C5a/NF-κB
- Superenhancer–transcription factor regulatory network in malignant tumors
- β-Cell function is associated with osteosarcopenia in middle-aged and older nonobese patients with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study
- Clinical features of atypical tuberculosis mimicking bacterial pneumonia
- Proteoglycan-depleted regions of annular injury promote nerve ingrowth in a rabbit disc degeneration model
- Effect of electromagnetic field on abortion: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- miR-150-5p affects AS plaque with ASMC proliferation and migration by STAT1
- MALAT1 promotes malignant pleural mesothelioma by sponging miR-141-3p
- Effects of remifentanil and propofol on distant organ lung injury in an ischemia–reperfusion model
- miR-654-5p promotes gastric cancer progression via the GPRIN1/NF-κB pathway
- Identification of LIG1 and LIG3 as prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer
- MitoQ inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis by enhancing PINK1/parkin-mediated mitophagy
- Dissecting role of founder mutation p.V727M in GNE in Indian HIBM cohort
- circATP2A2 promotes osteosarcoma progression by upregulating MYH9
- Prognostic role of oxytocin receptor in colon adenocarcinoma
- Review Articles
- The function of non-coding RNAs in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Efficacy and safety of therapeutic plasma exchange in stiff person syndrome
- Role of cesarean section in the development of neonatal gut microbiota: A systematic review
- Small cell lung cancer transformation during antitumor therapies: A systematic review
- Research progress of gut microbiota and frailty syndrome
- Recommendations for outpatient activity in COVID-19 pandemic
- Rapid Communication
- Disparity in clinical characteristics between 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia and leptospirosis
- Use of microspheres in embolization for unruptured renal angiomyolipomas
- COVID-19 cases with delayed absorption of lung lesion
- A triple combination of treatments on moderate COVID-19
- Social networks and eating disorders during the Covid-19 pandemic
- Letter
- COVID-19, WHO guidelines, pedagogy, and respite
- Inflammatory factors in alveolar lavage fluid from severe COVID-19 pneumonia: PCT and IL-6 in epithelial lining fluid
- COVID-19: Lessons from Norway tragedy must be considered in vaccine rollout planning in least developed/developing countries
- What is the role of plasma cell in the lamina propria of terminal ileum in Good’s syndrome patient?
- Case Report
- Rivaroxaban triggered multifocal intratumoral hemorrhage of the cabozantinib-treated diffuse brain metastases: A case report and review of literature
- CTU findings of duplex kidney in kidney: A rare duplicated renal malformation
- Synchronous primary malignancy of colon cancer and mantle cell lymphoma: A case report
- Sonazoid-enhanced ultrasonography and pathologic characters of CD68 positive cell in primary hepatic perivascular epithelioid cell tumors: A case report and literature review
- Persistent SARS-CoV-2-positive over 4 months in a COVID-19 patient with CHB
- Pulmonary parenchymal involvement caused by Tropheryma whipplei
- Mediastinal mixed germ cell tumor: A case report and literature review
- Ovarian female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin – Case report
- Rare paratesticular aggressive angiomyxoma mimicking an epididymal tumor in an 82-year-old man: Case report
- Perimenopausal giant hydatidiform mole complicated with preeclampsia and hyperthyroidism: A case report and literature review
- Primary orbital ganglioneuroblastoma: A case report
- Primary aortic intimal sarcoma masquerading as intramural hematoma
- Sustained false-positive results for hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin M: A case report and literature review
- Peritoneal loose body presenting as a hepatic mass: A case report and review of the literature
- Chondroblastoma of mandibular condyle: Case report and literature review
- Trauma-induced complete pacemaker lead fracture 8 months prior to hospitalization: A case report
- Primary intradural extramedullary extraosseous Ewing’s sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PIEES/PNET) of the thoracolumbar spine: A case report and literature review
- Computer-assisted preoperative planning of reduction of and osteosynthesis of scapular fracture: A case report
- High quality of 58-month life in lung cancer patient with brain metastases sequentially treated with gefitinib and osimertinib
- Rapid response of locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma to apatinib: A case report
- Retrieval of intrarenal coiled and ruptured guidewire by retrograde intrarenal surgery: A case report and literature review
- Usage of intermingled skin allografts and autografts in a senior patient with major burn injury
- Retraction
- Retraction on “Dihydromyricetin attenuates inflammation through TLR4/NF-kappa B pathway”
- Special Issue Computational Intelligence Methodologies Meets Recurrent Cancers - Part I
- An artificial immune system with bootstrap sampling for the diagnosis of recurrent endometrial cancers
- Breast cancer recurrence prediction with ensemble methods and cost-sensitive learning
Articles in the same Issue
- Research Articles
- Identification of ZG16B as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer
- Behçet’s disease with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
- Erratum
- Erratum to “Suffering from Cerebral Small Vessel Disease with and without Metabolic Syndrome”
- Research Articles
- GPR37 promotes the malignancy of lung adenocarcinoma via TGF-β/Smad pathway
- Expression and role of ABIN1 in sepsis: In vitro and in vivo studies
- Additional baricitinib loading dose improves clinical outcome in COVID-19
- The co-treatment of rosuvastatin with dapagliflozin synergistically inhibited apoptosis via activating the PI3K/AKt/mTOR signaling pathway in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury rats
- SLC12A8 plays a key role in bladder cancer progression and EMT
- LncRNA ATXN8OS enhances tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer
- Case Report
- Serratia marcescens as a cause of unfavorable outcome in the twin pregnancy
- Spleno-adrenal fusion mimicking an adrenal metastasis of a renal cell carcinoma: A case report and embryological background
- Research Articles
- TRIM25 contributes to the malignancy of acute myeloid leukemia and is negatively regulated by microRNA-137
- CircRNA circ_0004370 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibits cell apoptosis of esophageal cancer via miR-1301-3p/COL1A1 axis
- LncRNA XIST regulates atherosclerosis progression in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs
- Potential role of IFN-γ and IL-5 in sepsis prediction of preterm neonates
- Rapid Communication
- COVID-19 vaccine: Call for employees in international transportation industries and international travelers as the first priority in global distribution
- Case Report
- Rare squamous cell carcinoma of the kidney with concurrent xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: A case report and review of the literature
- An infertile female delivered a baby after removal of primary renal carcinoid tumor
- Research Articles
- Hypertension, BMI, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
- Case Report
- Coexistence of bilateral macular edema and pale optic disc in the patient with Cohen syndrome
- Research Articles
- Correlation between kinematic sagittal parameters of the cervical lordosis or head posture and disc degeneration in patients with posterior neck pain
- Review Articles
- Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung: An analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database
- Research Articles
- Thermography in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome
- Pemetrexed-based first-line chemotherapy had particularly prominent objective response rate for advanced NSCLC: A network meta-analysis
- Comparison of single and double autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma patients
- The influence of smoking in minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery
- Impact of body mass index on left atrial dimension in HOCM patients
- Expression and clinical significance of CMTM1 in hepatocellular carcinoma
- miR-142-5p promotes cervical cancer progression by targeting LMX1A through Wnt/β-catenin pathway
- Comparison of multiple flatfoot indicators in 5–8-year-old children
- Early MRI imaging and follow-up study in cerebral amyloid angiopathy
- Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein as a biomarker for the diagnosis of strangulated intestinal obstruction: A meta-analysis
- miR-128-3p inhibits apoptosis and inflammation in LPS-induced sepsis by targeting TGFBR2
- Dynamic perfusion CT – A promising tool to diagnose pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
- Biomechanical evaluation of self-cinching stitch techniques in rotator cuff repair: The single-loop and double-loop knot stitches
- Review Articles
- The ambiguous role of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) in human immunity
- Case Report
- Membranous nephropathy with pulmonary cryptococcosis with improved 1-year follow-up results: A case report
- Fertility problems in males carrying an inversion of chromosome 10
- Acute myeloid leukemia with leukemic pleural effusion and high levels of pleural adenosine deaminase: A case report and review of literature
- Metastatic renal Ewing’s sarcoma in adult woman: Case report and review of the literature
- Burkitt-like lymphoma with 11q aberration in a patient with AIDS and a patient without AIDS: Two cases reports and literature review
- Skull hemophilia pseudotumor: A case report
- Judicious use of low-dosage corticosteroids for non-severe COVID-19: A case report
- Adult-onset citrullinaemia type II with liver cirrhosis: A rare cause of hyperammonaemia
- Clinicopathologic features of Good’s syndrome: Two cases and literature review
- Fatal immune-related hepatitis with intrahepatic cholestasis and pneumonia associated with camrelizumab: A case report and literature review
- Research Articles
- Effects of hydroxyethyl starch and gelatin on the risk of acute kidney injury following orthotopic liver transplantation: A multicenter retrospective comparative clinical study
- Significance of nucleic acid positive anal swab in COVID-19 patients
- circAPLP2 promotes colorectal cancer progression by upregulating HELLS by targeting miR-335-5p
- Ratios between circulating myeloid cells and lymphocytes are associated with mortality in severe COVID-19 patients
- Risk factors of left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation
- Clinical features of hypertensive patients with COVID-19 compared with a normotensive group: Single-center experience in China
- Surgical myocardial revascularization outcomes in Kawasaki disease: systematic review and meta-analysis
- Decreased chromobox homologue 7 expression is associated with epithelial–mesenchymal transition and poor prognosis in cervical cancer
- FGF16 regulated by miR-520b enhances the cell proliferation of lung cancer
- Platelet-rich fibrin: Basics of biological actions and protocol modifications
- Accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer using logistic regression
- miR-377 inhibition enhances the survival of trophoblast cells via upregulation of FNDC5 in gestational diabetes mellitus
- Prognostic significance of TRIM28 expression in patients with breast carcinoma
- Integrative bioinformatics analysis of KPNA2 in six major human cancers
- Exosomal-mediated transfer of OIP5-AS1 enhanced cell chemoresistance to trastuzumab in breast cancer via up-regulating HMGB3 by sponging miR-381-3p
- A four-lncRNA signature for predicting prognosis of recurrence patients with gastric cancer
- Knockdown of circ_0003204 alleviates oxidative low-density lipoprotein-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells injury: Circulating RNAs could explain atherosclerosis disease progression
- Propofol postpones colorectal cancer development through circ_0026344/miR-645/Akt/mTOR signal pathway
- Knockdown of lncRNA TapSAKI alleviates LPS-induced injury in HK-2 cells through the miR-205/IRF3 pathway
- COVID-19 severity in relation to sociodemographics and vitamin D use
- Clinical analysis of 11 cases of nocardiosis
- Cis-regulatory elements in conserved non-coding sequences of nuclear receptor genes indicate for crosstalk between endocrine systems
- Four long noncoding RNAs act as biomarkers in lung adenocarcinoma
- Real-world evidence of cytomegalovirus reactivation in non-Hodgkin lymphomas treated with bendamustine-containing regimens
- Relation between IL-8 level and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
- circAGFG1 sponges miR-28-5p to promote non-small-cell lung cancer progression through modulating HIF-1α level
- Nomogram prediction model for renal anaemia in IgA nephropathy patients
- Effect of antibiotic use on the efficacy of nivolumab in the treatment of advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis
- NDRG2 inhibition facilitates angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma
- A nomogram for predicting metabolic steatohepatitis: The combination of NAMPT, RALGDS, GADD45B, FOSL2, RTP3, and RASD1
- Clinical and prognostic features of MMP-2 and VEGF in AEG patients
- The value of miR-510 in the prognosis and development of colon cancer
- Functional implications of PABPC1 in the development of ovarian cancer
- Prognostic value of preoperative inflammation-based predictors in patients with bladder carcinoma after radical cystectomy
- Sublingual immunotherapy increases Treg/Th17 ratio in allergic rhinitis
- Prediction of improvement after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
- Effluent Osteopontin levels reflect the peritoneal solute transport rate
- circ_0038467 promotes PM2.5-induced bronchial epithelial cell dysfunction
- Significance of miR-141 and miR-340 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma
- Association between hair cortisol concentration and metabolic syndrome
- Microvessel density as a prognostic indicator of prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Characteristics of BCR–ABL gene variants in patients of chronic myeloid leukemia
- Knee alterations in rheumatoid arthritis: Comparison of US and MRI
- Long non-coding RNA TUG1 aggravates cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury by sponging miR-493-3p/miR-410-3p
- lncRNA MALAT1 regulated ATAD2 to facilitate retinoblastoma progression via miR-655-3p
- Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting severity in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome: A retrospective study
- Analysis of COVID-19 outbreak origin in China in 2019 using differentiation method for unusual epidemiological events
- Laparoscopic versus open major liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: A case-matched analysis of short- and long-term outcomes
- Travelers’ vaccines and their adverse events in Nara, Japan
- Association between Tfh and PGA in children with Henoch–Schönlein purpura
- Can exchange transfusion be replaced by double-LED phototherapy?
- circ_0005962 functions as an oncogene to aggravate NSCLC progression
- Circular RNA VANGL1 knockdown suppressed viability, promoted apoptosis, and increased doxorubicin sensitivity through targeting miR-145-5p to regulate SOX4 in bladder cancer cells
- Serum intact fibroblast growth factor 23 in healthy paediatric population
- Algorithm of rational approach to reconstruction in Fournier’s disease
- A meta-analysis of exosome in the treatment of spinal cord injury
- Src-1 and SP2 promote the proliferation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
- Dexmedetomidine may decrease the bupivacaine toxicity to heart
- Hypoxia stimulates the migration and invasion of osteosarcoma via up-regulating the NUSAP1 expression
- Long noncoding RNA XIST knockdown relieves the injury of microglia cells after spinal cord injury by sponging miR-219-5p
- External fixation via the anterior inferior iliac spine for proximal femoral fractures in young patients
- miR-128-3p reduced acute lung injury induced by sepsis via targeting PEL12
- HAGLR promotes neuron differentiation through the miR-130a-3p-MeCP2 axis
- Phosphoglycerate mutase 2 is elevated in serum of patients with heart failure and correlates with the disease severity and patient’s prognosis
- Cell population data in identifying active tuberculosis and community-acquired pneumonia
- Prognostic value of microRNA-4521 in non-small cell lung cancer and its regulatory effect on tumor progression
- Mean platelet volume and red blood cell distribution width is associated with prognosis in premature neonates with sepsis
- 3D-printed porous scaffold promotes osteogenic differentiation of hADMSCs
- Association of gene polymorphisms with women urinary incontinence
- Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on stress levels of urologic patients
- miR-496 inhibits proliferation via LYN and AKT pathway in gastric cancer
- miR-519d downregulates LEP expression to inhibit preeclampsia development
- Comparison of single- and triple-port VATS for lung cancer: A meta-analysis
- Fluorescent light energy modulates healing in skin grafted mouse model
- Silencing CDK6-AS1 inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory damage in HK-2 cells
- Predictive effect of DCE-MRI and DWI in brain metastases from NSCLC
- Severe postoperative hyperbilirubinemia in congenital heart disease
- Baicalin improves podocyte injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway
- Clinical factors predicting ureteral stent failure in patients with external ureteral compression
- Novel H2S donor proglumide-ADT-OH protects HUVECs from ox-LDL-induced injury through NF-κB and JAK/SATA pathway
- Triple-Endobutton and clavicular hook: A propensity score matching analysis
- 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
- Serum exosomal miR-122-5p, GAS, and PGR in the non-invasive diagnosis of CAG
- miR-513b-5p inhibits the proliferation and promotes apoptosis of retinoblastoma cells by targeting TRIB1
- Fer exacerbates renal fibrosis and can be targeted by miR-29c-3p
- The diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-92a in gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Prognostic value of α2δ1 in hypopharyngeal carcinoma: A retrospective study
- No significant benefit of moderate-dose vitamin C on severe COVID-19 cases
- circ_0000467 promotes the proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis in colorectal cancer cells through regulating KLF12 expression by sponging miR-4766-5p
- Downregulation of RAB7 and Caveolin-1 increases MMP-2 activity in renal tubular epithelial cells under hypoxic conditions
- Educational program for orthopedic surgeons’ influences for osteoporosis
- Expression and function analysis of CRABP2 and FABP5, and their ratio in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
- GJA1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by mediating TGF-β-induced activation and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition of hepatic stellate cells
- lncRNA-ZFAS1 promotes the progression of endometrial carcinoma by targeting miR-34b to regulate VEGFA expression
- Anticoagulation is the answer in treating noncritical COVID-19 patients
- Effect of late-onset hemorrhagic cystitis on PFS after haplo-PBSCT
- Comparison of Dako HercepTest and Ventana PATHWAY anti-HER2 (4B5) tests and their correlation with silver in situ hybridization in lung adenocarcinoma
- VSTM1 regulates monocyte/macrophage function via the NF-κB signaling pathway
- Comparison of vaginal birth outcomes in midwifery-led versus physician-led setting: A propensity score-matched analysis
- Treatment of osteoporosis with teriparatide: The Slovenian experience
- New targets of morphine postconditioning protection of the myocardium in ischemia/reperfusion injury: Involvement of HSP90/Akt and C5a/NF-κB
- Superenhancer–transcription factor regulatory network in malignant tumors
- β-Cell function is associated with osteosarcopenia in middle-aged and older nonobese patients with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study
- Clinical features of atypical tuberculosis mimicking bacterial pneumonia
- Proteoglycan-depleted regions of annular injury promote nerve ingrowth in a rabbit disc degeneration model
- Effect of electromagnetic field on abortion: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- miR-150-5p affects AS plaque with ASMC proliferation and migration by STAT1
- MALAT1 promotes malignant pleural mesothelioma by sponging miR-141-3p
- Effects of remifentanil and propofol on distant organ lung injury in an ischemia–reperfusion model
- miR-654-5p promotes gastric cancer progression via the GPRIN1/NF-κB pathway
- Identification of LIG1 and LIG3 as prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer
- MitoQ inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis by enhancing PINK1/parkin-mediated mitophagy
- Dissecting role of founder mutation p.V727M in GNE in Indian HIBM cohort
- circATP2A2 promotes osteosarcoma progression by upregulating MYH9
- Prognostic role of oxytocin receptor in colon adenocarcinoma
- Review Articles
- The function of non-coding RNAs in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Efficacy and safety of therapeutic plasma exchange in stiff person syndrome
- Role of cesarean section in the development of neonatal gut microbiota: A systematic review
- Small cell lung cancer transformation during antitumor therapies: A systematic review
- Research progress of gut microbiota and frailty syndrome
- Recommendations for outpatient activity in COVID-19 pandemic
- Rapid Communication
- Disparity in clinical characteristics between 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia and leptospirosis
- Use of microspheres in embolization for unruptured renal angiomyolipomas
- COVID-19 cases with delayed absorption of lung lesion
- A triple combination of treatments on moderate COVID-19
- Social networks and eating disorders during the Covid-19 pandemic
- Letter
- COVID-19, WHO guidelines, pedagogy, and respite
- Inflammatory factors in alveolar lavage fluid from severe COVID-19 pneumonia: PCT and IL-6 in epithelial lining fluid
- COVID-19: Lessons from Norway tragedy must be considered in vaccine rollout planning in least developed/developing countries
- What is the role of plasma cell in the lamina propria of terminal ileum in Good’s syndrome patient?
- Case Report
- Rivaroxaban triggered multifocal intratumoral hemorrhage of the cabozantinib-treated diffuse brain metastases: A case report and review of literature
- CTU findings of duplex kidney in kidney: A rare duplicated renal malformation
- Synchronous primary malignancy of colon cancer and mantle cell lymphoma: A case report
- Sonazoid-enhanced ultrasonography and pathologic characters of CD68 positive cell in primary hepatic perivascular epithelioid cell tumors: A case report and literature review
- Persistent SARS-CoV-2-positive over 4 months in a COVID-19 patient with CHB
- Pulmonary parenchymal involvement caused by Tropheryma whipplei
- Mediastinal mixed germ cell tumor: A case report and literature review
- Ovarian female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin – Case report
- Rare paratesticular aggressive angiomyxoma mimicking an epididymal tumor in an 82-year-old man: Case report
- Perimenopausal giant hydatidiform mole complicated with preeclampsia and hyperthyroidism: A case report and literature review
- Primary orbital ganglioneuroblastoma: A case report
- Primary aortic intimal sarcoma masquerading as intramural hematoma
- Sustained false-positive results for hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin M: A case report and literature review
- Peritoneal loose body presenting as a hepatic mass: A case report and review of the literature
- Chondroblastoma of mandibular condyle: Case report and literature review
- Trauma-induced complete pacemaker lead fracture 8 months prior to hospitalization: A case report
- Primary intradural extramedullary extraosseous Ewing’s sarcoma/peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PIEES/PNET) of the thoracolumbar spine: A case report and literature review
- Computer-assisted preoperative planning of reduction of and osteosynthesis of scapular fracture: A case report
- High quality of 58-month life in lung cancer patient with brain metastases sequentially treated with gefitinib and osimertinib
- Rapid response of locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma to apatinib: A case report
- Retrieval of intrarenal coiled and ruptured guidewire by retrograde intrarenal surgery: A case report and literature review
- Usage of intermingled skin allografts and autografts in a senior patient with major burn injury
- Retraction
- Retraction on “Dihydromyricetin attenuates inflammation through TLR4/NF-kappa B pathway”
- Special Issue Computational Intelligence Methodologies Meets Recurrent Cancers - Part I
- An artificial immune system with bootstrap sampling for the diagnosis of recurrent endometrial cancers
- Breast cancer recurrence prediction with ensemble methods and cost-sensitive learning