Whole-body MRI for non-invasive lesion detection and therapy follow-up in radiographic and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis

Research on a New Disease Activity Assessment System for axSpA Based on Whole-body Magnetic Resonance Imaging Cohort

Observational The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University · NCT07230327

This project will try whole-body MRI to find lesions and track treatment response in people with radiographic or non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment100 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorThe First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University Academic / other
Locations1 site (Nanjing, Jiangsu)
Trial IDNCT07230327 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is an observational cohort using whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) to image multiple body regions in patients with suspected axial spondyloarthritis and to follow them over time. Imaging features from WB-MRI will be correlated with clinical measures of disease activity, inflammation, and structural damage. The project will apply data mining and machine-learning methods to build a WB-MRI–based disease activity model, with separate discovery and validation cohorts to test accuracy and reliability. Dynamic follow-up imaging will be used to examine how MRI findings change with therapy and clinical course.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Newly referred people with symptom onset before age 45 who have chronic back pain (>3 months) and/or peripheral arthritis, enthesitis, or dactylitis and who are not already diagnosed with axial SpA are the intended participants.

Not a fit: People already diagnosed with radiographic or non-radiographic axial SpA, those with symptom onset after age 45, or individuals with contraindications to MRI (for example certain implanted devices or severe claustrophobia) are unlikely to benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the project could provide a more objective, imaging-based way to measure disease activity and monitor treatment response in axial spondyloarthritis.

How similar studies have performed: Whole-body MRI has shown promise in small axSpA cohorts for detecting inflammation, but using WB-MRI combined with machine-learning to create a validated disease-activity model is relatively novel and not yet widely proven.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

Include newly referred patients if:

The onset of symptoms (back pain/arthritis/enthesitis) \< 45 years

Undiagnosed disease with the following symptoms:

chronic back pain (duration of back pain more than 3 months) and/or peripheral arthritis (asymmetric arthritis/predominantly of the lower limbs) and/or enthesitis and/or dactylitis

Exclusion Criteria:

And diagnosed with non-radiographic or radiographic axial SpA

Where this trial is running

Nanjing, Jiangsu

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions SpondyloarthritisWhole-body MRI
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.