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Article Serum and synovial fluid concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor in juvenile idiopathic arthritides. free! 2002
Vignola S, Picco P, Falcini F, Sabatini F, Buoncompagni A, Gattorno M. · Second Division of Paediatrics (Rheumatology Unit), G. Gaslini Scientific Institute for Children, Genoa, Italy. · Rheumatology (Oxford). · Pubmed #12048298 links to free full text
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the pathogenesis of local joint inflammation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS: Sera from 50 patients affected with JIA and 10 age-matched healthy controls were tested with a commercial ELISA for VEGF. Corresponding synovial fluid (SF) concentrations of VEGF and p75 soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR) were evaluated in 20 active JIA patients. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of VEGF were significantly higher in patients with active polyarticular disease than in patients with active and inactive oligoarticular disease and healthy controls. In JIA patients, serum concentrations of VEGF displayed a significant correlation with a number of clinical and laboratory parameters of disease activity. VEGF concentrations in SF were significantly higher than those detected in corresponding sera. Moreover, a clear correlation was found between corresponding SF and serum VEGF concentrations. In SF, VEGF showed a strong positive correlation with p75 sTNFR. CONCLUSIONS: Concentrations of VEGF in SF in patients with JIA are higher than corresponding serum concentrations, suggesting that this pro-angiogenic factor may have a major role in the outgrowth of hyperplastic pannus and tissue damage at the site of tissue inflammation.
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Article Serum and synovial fluid concentrations of matrix metalloproteinases 3 and its tissue inhibitor 1 in juvenile idiopathic arthritides. 2002
Gattorno M, Vignola S, Falcini F, Sabatini F, Buoncompagni A, Simonini G, Picco P, Pistoia V. · 2nd Division of Pediatrics, G. Gaslini Institute for Children, Genoa, Italy. · J Rheumatol. · Pubmed #11950028 No free full text.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are a large family of proteolytic enzymes involved in the remodeling of extracellular matrix during tissue resorption in idiopathic arthritides. We investigated serum and synovial fluid (SF) concentrations of MMP-3 and its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1) in juvenile idiopathic arthritides (JIA). METHODS: Sera from 45 patients with active, 15 patients with inactive JIA, and 15 healthy controls were evaluated by ELISA for MMP-3 (stromelysin-1), TIMP-1, and soluble p75 tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR). Paired SF concentrations were evaluated in 19 patients with JIA. RESULTS: MMP-3 serum concentrations were significantly higher in patients with active poly- and oligoarticular JIA versus inactive patients (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively) and healthy controls (p < 0.001 for both). Serum MMP-3, but not TIMP-1, concentration displayed a variable degree of correlation with clinical and laboratory variables of disease activity and with p75 sTNFR concentrations (r = 0.37, p = 0.005). SF MMP-3 concentrations were 30-300 times higher than those found in paired sera (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon rank test). A clear inversion of MMP-3/TIMP-1 ratio was observed when sera (median 0.31. range 0.02-1.5) were compared with the corresponding SF samples (5.3, range 4.9-5.5; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: MMP-3 (stromelysin-1) is clearly overexpressed in SF of patients with JIA. An inadequate counter-expression of TIMP-1 may represent a crucial event for the development and perpetuation of tissue damage.
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