Spectral Doppler and automated software-guided ultrasound assessment of bilateral common carotid intima-media thickness in spondyloarthritis: is there a correlation with clinical findings?

Abstract

Background and aimLimited information is currently available about whether carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) correlates with the degree of disease activity in spondyloarthritis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between articular and carotid ultrasound data and laboratory and clinical variables in patients with spondyloarthritis.MethodsTwenty-two patients with spondyloarthritis, recruited consecutively via the spondyloarthritis service of the Universidade Pontifícia Católica de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, were assessed using carotid artery ultrasound (radiofrequency quality intima-media thickness, RF-QIMT), joint ultrasound, clinical evaluation, and laboratory tests.ResultsMean (standard deviation, SD) carotid RF-QIMT was 0.643 (0.16) mm. Mean (SD) resistive index (RI) values for the right and left carotid arteries were 0.67 (0.12) and 0.82 (0.38), respectively. Mean (SD) RI values for the right and left sacroiliac joints were 1.10 (0.97) and 0.94 (0.13), respectively. Several significant correlations were detected between ultrasound, clinical, and laboratory variables. Notably, there were correlations between sacroiliac RI and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p=0.027) and RF-QIMT (p=0.037); between RF-QIMT and Framingham score (p=0.012) and metabolic parameters, including abdominal waist measurement, body mass index (BMI) (p=0.032 to p=0.044).ConclusionsIn patients with spondyloarthritis, RF-QIMT detected atherosclerotic changes in the carotid artery wall, and spectral Doppler detected inflammatory activity in sacroiliac joints. Positive correlations were observed between these ultrasound findings and parameters reflecting patients’ metabolic profile and alterations in inflammatory markers.

Can spectral doppler high specificity and gray scale nail assessment suggest inflammation in psoriatic arthritis patients and control groups?

“…Currently, the PD characterizes important indications in the joint inflammatory disease; sD parameters have been associated with inflammatory clinical and US changes in spondyloarthritis, as is reported in the literature. 24 The evaluation of RI allows quantification of the degree of microcirculation vasodilation. Previous studies have defined that at the joints the RI value is usually near 1 in healthy subjects; in case of inflammation this parameter decrease; in synovitis and sacroiliitis the cut-off points are <0.79 and ≤0.75, respectively, but still in previous studies 25,26 a clinically validated cut-off value for nail enthesitis was not available.…”

High specificity of spectral and power Doppler ultrasonographic nail assessment in psoriatic arthritis patients

“…Currently, the PD characterize indications important in the joint inflammatory disease. sD parameters have been associated with inflammatory clinical and US changes in spondyloarthritis, as is seen in the literature 24 .…”

Endothelial dysfunction and increased carotid intima–media thickness in patients with spondyloarthritis without traditional cardiovascular risk factors

“…In a study carried out by Mendonça et al including 22 patients with SpA, the US resistance index was decreased in the sacral and internal iliac arteries. 41 This decreased artery led to micro and macrovascular changes influencing endothelial function. The decreased resistance index was also correlated with serum markers of inflammation.…”