The 2018 OMERACT Synovial Tissue Biopsy Special Interest Group Report on Standardization of Synovial Biopsy Analysis

Abstract

Objective.The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) synovial tissue biopsy (STB) working group initiated an international effort to standardize STB analyses, define consensual items to inform treatment choices, and predict responses in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods.(1) A Delphi survey to determine items for STB analyses. (2) A multicenter retrospective study of STB data in patients with RA posttreatment with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.Results.The Delphi survey identified 18 STB analyses items. Consensus on histological markers was achieved in the OMERACT 2018 SIG.Conclusion.Six markers were identified for examination in a multicenter study designed to define an OMERACT-endorsed set of STB markers to predict responses to treatment.