Table 3. Ultrasonic and X-ray features compared across serology status with different swollen joint counts in the same DAS28 level.
| Scores for US features | DAS28 >5.1 | DAS28 ≤5.1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sp-RA + SJC >10 (Group A, n=56) | Sp-RA + SJC ≤10 (Group B, n=18) | Sn-RA (Group C, n=19) | Sp-RA + SJC ≤10 (Group B, n=36) | Sn-RA (Group C, n=10) | ||
| US total scores | 31.4 (9.3)1,2 | 26.7 (8.9)1 | 24.7 (9.2)2 | 15.6 (5.3) | 12.3 (6.5) | |
| Synovitis grey-scale scores | 20.2 (5.1)1,2 | 16.8 (5.0)1 | 17.2 (12.0–22.0)2 | 13.2 (3.8) | 12 (7.5–16.5) | |
| Synovitis power Doppler scores | 4.6 (2.0–6.0) | 4.2 (2.0–6.0) | 3.4 (1.3–5.0) | 0.9 (0.0–1.8) | NA | |
| Tenosynovitis grey-scale scores | 1.1 (0.0–2.0) | 0.4 (0.0–0.3) | 0.5 (0.0–0.0) | 0.2 (0.0–0.0) | 0.3 (0.0–0.0) | |
| Tenosynovitis power Doppler scores | 0.6 (0.0–0.0)1,2 | 0.1 (0.0–0.0)1 | 0.1 (0.0–0.0)2 | 0.1 (0.0–0.0) | NA | |
| Bone erosion grey-scale scores | 3.9 (1.0–6.0) | 4.1 (4.0) | 2.9 (0.0–5.5) | 1.1 (0–2.0) | NA | |
| Total vdHSS | 70.4 (23.5–108.5) | 72. 2 (32.3–101.0) | 59.2 (28.8–86.0) | 31.4 (1.3–26.8) | 11.7 (0–20.0) | |
Values are median (25th–75th centiles) or mean (SD), unless otherwise indicated. 1, P<0.05 while the parameters of Group A compared to Group B with the same level of DAS28; 2, P<0.05 while the parameters of Group A group compared to Group C with the same level of DAS28. All the above comparisons of indexes between two group are non-parametric statistics. DAS28, disease activity score of 28 joints; SD, standard deviation; SJC, swollen joint counts; sn-RA, seronegative rheumatoid arthritis; sp-RA, seropositive rheumatoid arthritis; vdHSS, van der Heijde-modified Sharp score.