Table 2.
The effect of inflammation detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on structural damage detected by MRI in the sacroiliac joints (multivariable models)*
| ≥5 fatty lesions/erosions, OR (95% CI) | ≥3 fatty lesions, OR (95% CI) | ≥3 erosions, OR (95% CI) | Fatty lesions/erosions, β (95% CI) | Fatty lesions, β (95% CI) | Erosions β (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binary scores | ||||||
| BME at baseline (range 144–151)† | 5.6 (3.1, 10.0)‡ | 4.2 (2.4, 7.3)‡ | 4.1 (2.1, 7.8) | – | – | – |
| BME over 5 years (range 197–199)§ | 7.7 (4.5, 13.4)¶ | 5.1 (2.7, 9.6)¶ | 3.2 (1.9, 5.3) | – | – | – |
| Continuous scores | ||||||
| SPARCC at baseline (range 144–151)† | – | – | – | 0.23 (0.15, 0.31)‡ | 0.12 (0.05, 0.19)‡ | 0.12 (0.06, 0.18) |
| SPARCC over 5 years (range 197–199)§ | – | – | – | 0.13 (0.07, 0.19)¶ | 0.10 (0.04, 0.16)¶ | 0.04 (0.01, 0.06) |
95% CI = 95% confidence interval; ASDAS = Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score; BME = bone marrow edema (according to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society definition [positive/negative]); OR = odds ratio; SPARCC = Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada.
Multilevel generalized estimating equation (GEE) models (i.e., effect of inflammation at baseline on the outcome at 5 years, taking the scores from the individual readers into account).
Adjusted for C‐reactive protein (CRP) level at baseline.
Longitudinal multilevel time‐lagged GEE models with autoregression (i.e., effect of inflammation at t on the outcome at t + 1, adjusted for the outcome at t, taking the scores from the individual readers into account).
Adjusted for time‐lagged ASDAS‐CRP score.