Thymus variants on imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Clinical and immunological significance

Okinori Murata; Katsuya Suzuki; Hiroaki Sugiura; Yasushi Kondo; Masaru Takeshita; Keiko Koga; Maiko Takiguchi; Rina Kurisu; Yoshiaki Kassai; Hidekata Yasuoka; Kunihiro Yamaoka; Rimpei Morita; Akihiko Yoshimura; Tsutomu Takeuchi

doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keab164

Thymus variants on imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Clinical and immunological significance

Okinori Murata, Katsuya Suzuki, Hiroaki Sugiura, Yasushi Kondo, Masaru Takeshita, Keiko Koga, Maiko Takiguchi, Rina Kurisu, Yoshiaki Kassai, Hidekata Yasuoka, Kunihiro Yamaoka, Rimpei Morita, Akihiko Yoshimura, Tsutomu Takeuchi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to clarify the presence of radiographic thymus variants using a scoring system, and their association with clinical and immunological features in RA patients. Methods: A total of 387 RA patients were randomly selected from all patients visiting our department who underwent chest CT scanning, with exclusion of patients with thymoma or thymic cyst, or age < 30 years. Thymus size and attenuation score in axial CT images were quantitatively interpreted and assessed. Associations between immunophenotype data and clinical and serological features were analysed in a subset of patients. Results: Thymic enlargement was found in 76 (19.6%) patients, and a thymus attenuation score ≥ 2 was found in 50 (12.9%) patients. The score was significantly associated with antibodies to ACPA positivity. Thymic enlargement was significantly associated with the proportions of CD4+ effector memory T cells. Conclusion: Radiographic thymus variants were frequently observed in RA patients and may reflect an abnormal immune response involved in the pathogenesis of RA.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5595-5600
Number of pages	6
Journal	Rheumatology (United Kingdom)
Volume	60
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keab164
Publication status	Published - 2021 Dec 1

Keywords

B cell
T cell
computed tomography
rheumatoid arthritis
systemic autoimmune diseases
thymus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Rheumatology
Pharmacology (medical)

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10.1093/rheumatology/keab164

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Murata, O., Suzuki, K., Sugiura, H., Kondo, Y., Takeshita, M., Koga, K., Takiguchi, M., Kurisu, R., Kassai, Y., Yasuoka, H., Yamaoka, K., Morita, R., Yoshimura, A., & Takeuchi, T. (2021). Thymus variants on imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Clinical and immunological significance. Rheumatology (United Kingdom), 60(12), 5595-5600. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keab164

Thymus variants on imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Clinical and immunological significance. / Murata, Okinori; Suzuki, Katsuya; Sugiura, Hiroaki; Kondo, Yasushi ; Takeshita, Masaru; Koga, Keiko; Takiguchi, Maiko; Kurisu, Rina; Kassai, Yoshiaki; Yasuoka, Hidekata; Yamaoka, Kunihiro; Morita, Rimpei; Yoshimura, Akihiko; Takeuchi, Tsutomu.

In: Rheumatology (United Kingdom), Vol. 60, No. 12, 01.12.2021, p. 5595-5600.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Murata, O, Suzuki, K, Sugiura, H, Kondo, Y , Takeshita, M, Koga, K, Takiguchi, M, Kurisu, R, Kassai, Y, Yasuoka, H, Yamaoka, K, Morita, R, Yoshimura, A & Takeuchi, T 2021, 'Thymus variants on imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Clinical and immunological significance', Rheumatology (United Kingdom), vol. 60, no. 12, pp. 5595-5600. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keab164

Murata, Okinori ; Suzuki, Katsuya ; Sugiura, Hiroaki ; Kondo, Yasushi ; Takeshita, Masaru ; Koga, Keiko ; Takiguchi, Maiko ; Kurisu, Rina ; Kassai, Yoshiaki ; Yasuoka, Hidekata ; Yamaoka, Kunihiro ; Morita, Rimpei ; Yoshimura, Akihiko ; Takeuchi, Tsutomu. / Thymus variants on imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Clinical and immunological significance. In: Rheumatology (United Kingdom). 2021 ; Vol. 60, No. 12. pp. 5595-5600.

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abstract = "Objectives: We sought to clarify the presence of radiographic thymus variants using a scoring system, and their association with clinical and immunological features in RA patients. Methods: A total of 387 RA patients were randomly selected from all patients visiting our department who underwent chest CT scanning, with exclusion of patients with thymoma or thymic cyst, or age < 30 years. Thymus size and attenuation score in axial CT images were quantitatively interpreted and assessed. Associations between immunophenotype data and clinical and serological features were analysed in a subset of patients. Results: Thymic enlargement was found in 76 (19.6%) patients, and a thymus attenuation score ≥ 2 was found in 50 (12.9%) patients. The score was significantly associated with antibodies to ACPA positivity. Thymic enlargement was significantly associated with the proportions of CD4+ effector memory T cells. Conclusion: Radiographic thymus variants were frequently observed in RA patients and may reflect an abnormal immune response involved in the pathogenesis of RA. ",

keywords = "B cell, T cell, computed tomography, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic autoimmune diseases, thymus",

author = "Okinori Murata and Katsuya Suzuki and Hiroaki Sugiura and Yasushi Kondo and Masaru Takeshita and Keiko Koga and Maiko Takiguchi and Rina Kurisu and Yoshiaki Kassai and Hidekata Yasuoka and Kunihiro Yamaoka and Rimpei Morita and Akihiko Yoshimura and Tsutomu Takeuchi",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by Keio University and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.",

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doi = "10.1093/rheumatology/keab164",

language = "English",

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AU - Murata, Okinori

AU - Suzuki, Katsuya

AU - Sugiura, Hiroaki

AU - Kondo, Yasushi

AU - Takeshita, Masaru

AU - Koga, Keiko

AU - Takiguchi, Maiko

AU - Kurisu, Rina

AU - Kassai, Yoshiaki

AU - Yasuoka, Hidekata

AU - Yamaoka, Kunihiro

AU - Morita, Rimpei

AU - Yoshimura, Akihiko

AU - Takeuchi, Tsutomu

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by Keio University and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

PY - 2021/12/1

Y1 - 2021/12/1

N2 - Objectives: We sought to clarify the presence of radiographic thymus variants using a scoring system, and their association with clinical and immunological features in RA patients. Methods: A total of 387 RA patients were randomly selected from all patients visiting our department who underwent chest CT scanning, with exclusion of patients with thymoma or thymic cyst, or age < 30 years. Thymus size and attenuation score in axial CT images were quantitatively interpreted and assessed. Associations between immunophenotype data and clinical and serological features were analysed in a subset of patients. Results: Thymic enlargement was found in 76 (19.6%) patients, and a thymus attenuation score ≥ 2 was found in 50 (12.9%) patients. The score was significantly associated with antibodies to ACPA positivity. Thymic enlargement was significantly associated with the proportions of CD4+ effector memory T cells. Conclusion: Radiographic thymus variants were frequently observed in RA patients and may reflect an abnormal immune response involved in the pathogenesis of RA.

AB - Objectives: We sought to clarify the presence of radiographic thymus variants using a scoring system, and their association with clinical and immunological features in RA patients. Methods: A total of 387 RA patients were randomly selected from all patients visiting our department who underwent chest CT scanning, with exclusion of patients with thymoma or thymic cyst, or age < 30 years. Thymus size and attenuation score in axial CT images were quantitatively interpreted and assessed. Associations between immunophenotype data and clinical and serological features were analysed in a subset of patients. Results: Thymic enlargement was found in 76 (19.6%) patients, and a thymus attenuation score ≥ 2 was found in 50 (12.9%) patients. The score was significantly associated with antibodies to ACPA positivity. Thymic enlargement was significantly associated with the proportions of CD4+ effector memory T cells. Conclusion: Radiographic thymus variants were frequently observed in RA patients and may reflect an abnormal immune response involved in the pathogenesis of RA.

KW - B cell

KW - T cell

KW - computed tomography

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KW - systemic autoimmune diseases

KW - thymus

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Thymus variants on imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Clinical and immunological significance

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