Objective A comparative study on the diagnostic value of quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry for osteoporosis in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Seventy-three elderly RA patients were selected as the research group, and Seventy-eight healthy elderly were selected as the control group. The levels of bone turnover marker(BTM) in serum of RA group and control group were measured, and the lumbar spine (L1-4) ,hip DXA and lumbar spine (L1-3) and hip QCT examination were analyzed and compared. Results ① The detection rate of osteoporosis in RA group by QCT was significantly higher than that in DXA.(P<0.05).②Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of QCT in the diagnosis of lumbar osteoporosis in RA group was 0.945, the sensitivity was 93.75%, and the specificity was 87.80%.③ The level of serum β-cross-linked C-telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX) was higher in RA patients than that in the control group, and the level of serum bone type I procollagen N-terminal peptide (PINP) was lower than that in the healthy control group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).④ In RA group, the bone mineral density (BMD) measured by lumbar QCT was negatively correlated with β-CTX(r=?0.81,P<0.05)and positively correlated with PINP(r=0.79,P<0.05), while the BMD measured by lumbar DXA had no such correlation. Conclusion For elderly RA patients, the detection rate of osteoporosis in QCT is higher than that in DXA, with good sensitivity and specificity, and is related to BTM. |