Showing papers by "Tomas R. Vazquez-Rodriguez published in 2012"
TL;DR: Antibodies against the ferritin peptide were present in up to 92% of untreated, active GCA and PMR patients and can be useful as a diagnostic marker of PMR and GCA.
Abstract: Objectives Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) are relatively common inflammatory disorders. Establishing the diagnosis however may be difficult, since so far no specific biomarkers of the disorders are available. Methods As a screening procedure, the authors used protein arrays for the detection of new autoantigens in GCA and PMR. The results of the protein array were confirmed by different ELISAs detecting IgG antibodies against the human ferritin heavy chain, N-terminal 27 amino acids of the human ferritin heavy chain or the homologous peptide of Staphylococcus epidermidis . Sera of patients with only GCA (n=64), only PMR (n=47) and both PMR and GCA (n=31) were used. Results In the ELISA using the human ferritin peptide, the sensitivity of IgG antibodies against ferritin was 92% in 36 GCA and/or PMR patients before initiation of treatment, 22/32 (69%) in patients with disease flares and 64/117 (55%) in the total cohort including treated and inactive patients. In controls, the false positive rate was 11/38 (29%) in systemic lupus erythematosus, 1/36 (3%) in rheumatoid arthritis, 0/31 (0%) in late onset rheumatoid arthritis, 3/46 (6.5%) in B-non-Hodgkin9s lymphoma and 1/100 (1%) in blood donors. In the ELISA using the ferritin peptide of S epidermidis , 89% of 27 patients with untreated GCA and PMR were positive. Conclusion Antibodies against the ferritin peptide were present in up to 92% of untreated, active GCA and PMR patients. They can be useful as a diagnostic marker of PMR and GCA.
81 citations
TL;DR: Anti-TNF-alpha-adalimumab therapy has beneficial effects on the development of the subclinical atherosclerosis disease in RA.
Abstract: To determine whether treatment with the anti-TNF-alpha blocker adalimumab yields persistent improvement of endothelial function and prevents from morphological progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractory to conventional therapy, a series of 34 consecutive RA patients, attending hospital outpatient clinics and who were switched from disease modifying antirheumatic drug therapy to anti-TNF-alpha-adalimumab treatment because of severe disease, were assessed by ultrasonography techniques before the onset of adalimumab therapy (at day 0) and then at day 14 and at month 12. Values of flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation at day 14 and at month 12 were significantly higher (mean ± standard deviation (SD): %; median: 5.7% at day 14, and mean ± SD: %; median: 6.9% at month 12) than those obtained at day 0 (mean: %; median: 3.6%; and , resp.). Endothelium-independent vasodilatation results did not significantly change compared with those obtained at day 0. No significant differences were observed when carotid artery intima-media wall thickness values obtained at month 12 (mean ± SD: mm) were compared with those found at day 0 ( mm) (). In conclusion, anti-TNF-alpha-adalimumab therapy has beneficial effects on the development of the subclinical atherosclerosis disease in RA.
57 citations