Abstract
BackgroundThe aims were to explore bone mineral density (BMD) by digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) in postmenopausal women with long-lasting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-BMD, joint destruction by conventional radiographs and disease related variables in a cross-sectional study.MethodsSeventy-five postmenopausal women with RA were examined by DXA measuring DXA-BMD of the forearm, total hip and lumbar spine, by scoring joint destruction on plain radiographs by the method of Larsen and by DXR-BMD in metacarpals two to four. The DXR-BMD results of the RA women were compared with an age and sex-matched reference database. A function of DXR-BMD in relation to age and disease duration was created. Associations were investigated by bivariate and multiple linear regression analyses.ResultsDXR-BMD was strongly decreased in RA patients compared to the reference database (p < 0.001). Calculations showed that DXR-BMD was not markedly influenced the first years after diagnosis of RA, but between approximately 5-10 years of disease there was a steep decline in DXR-BMD which subsequently levelled off. In multiple regression analyses disease duration, CRP and DXR-BMD were independent variables associated with Larsen score (R2= 0.64). Larsen score and BMD forearm were independent determinants of DXR-BMD (R2 = 0.79).ConclusionsDXR-BMD was strongly reduced and associated with both Larsen score and DXA-BMD forearm in these postmenopausal women with RA implying that DXR-BMD is a technique that reflects both the erosive process and bone loss adjacent to affected joints.
Highlights
The aims were to explore bone mineral density (BMD) by digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) in postmenopausal women with long-lasting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)BMD, joint destruction by conventional radiographs and disease related variables in a cross-sectional study
If only the BMD measure sites, lumbar spine and hip, that are used in clinical practice evaluating the prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis were put into the model, we found that Larsen score, BMD lumbar spine, age and weight were significant independent variables connected with DXR-BMD (R2 = 0.66)
If DXR-BMD was excluded from the analyse BMD total hip and lumbar spine, Larsen score and age were significant independent variables connected with DXA-BMD forearm (R2 = 0.70). In this group of postmenopausal women with long-term RA, we found, for the first time, that DXR-BMD was significantly and markedly reduced, Z-score -2.27 ± 1.69SD compared to the reference population
Summary
The aims were to explore bone mineral density (BMD) by digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) in postmenopausal women with long-lasting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)BMD, joint destruction by conventional radiographs and disease related variables in a cross-sectional study. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common inflammatory rheumatic disease characterized by synovitis and by development of cartilage destruction in the joints, erosions in the subchondral bone at the joint margins and by periarticular osteopenia adjacent to inflamed joints [1,2]. Conventional radiographs are the standard method for detection and quantification of joint destruction in RA [9,10]. The disadvantages of conventional imaging are its limited sensitivity in early joint space narrowing and periarticular osteoporosis. The scoring systems are time consuming, and suitable in particular for experts
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