PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Frances Humby AU - Stephen Kelly AU - Serena Bugatti AU - Antonio Manzo AU - Andrew Filer AU - Arti Mahto AU - Joao Eurico Fonseca AU - Bernard Lauwerys AU - Maria-Antonietta D’Agostino AU - Esperanza Naredo AU - Rik Lories AU - Carlomaurizio Montecucco AU - Paul Peter Tak AU - Oliver Fitzgerald AU - Malcolm D. Smith AU - Douglas J. Veale AU - Ernest H. Choy AU - Vibeke Strand AU - Costantino Pitzalis TI - Evaluation of Minimally Invasive, Ultrasound-guided Synovial Biopsy Techniques by the OMERACT Filter–determining Validation Requirements AID - 10.3899/jrheum.141199 DP - 2015 Jun 01 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - jrheum.141199 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2015/05/25/jrheum.141199.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2015/05/25/jrheum.141199.full AB - Objective Because limited data currently support the clinical utility of peripherally expressed biomarkers in guiding treatment decisions for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the search has turned to the disease tissue. The strategic aim of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) synovitis working group over the years has been to develop novel diagnostic and prognostic synovial biomarkers. A critical step in this process is to refine and validate minimally invasive, technically simple, robust techniques to sample synovial tissue, for use both in clinical trials and routine clinical practice. The objective of the synovitis working group (SWG) at OMERACT 12 (2014) was to examine whether recently developed ultrasound (US)-guided synovial biopsy techniques could be validated according to the OMERACT filter for future clinical use recommendation. Methods The SWG examined whether current data reporting US-guided synovial biopsy of both large and small joints addressed the OMERACT filters of truth, discrimination, and feasibility. Results There are currently limited data examining the performance of US-guided synovial biopsy, mainly from observational studies. Thus, it remains critical to evaluate its performance, within the clinical trials context, against the current gold standard of arthroscopic biopsy, with particular reference to: (1) synovial tissue yield, (2) capacity to determine treatment response as measured by a validated synovial biomarker, and (3) tolerability of the procedure. Conclusion We summarize the discrete work packages agreed to as requirements to validate US-guided synovial biopsy and therefore lead to a global consensus on the use of synovial biopsy for research and clinical practice.