VEGFA and rheumatoid arthritis: In the treated patients with RA, the associations between synovial hypertrophy and any cytokines or growth factors were diminished, although synovial vascularity remained positively correlated with IL-6 and VEGF (p < 0.05); synovial echogenicity was also significant and inversely correlated with IL-6 and VEGF (p < 0.05).