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Clinical Conference Nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with TNF-alpha blockers. 2006
del Porto F, Aloe L, Laganà B, Triaca V, Nofroni I, D'Amelio R. · Cattedra e U.O.C di Allergologia, Immunologia Clinica e Reumatologia, II Facoltà di Medicina e. Chirurgia, Università La Sapienza, Ospedale Sant'Andrea, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189 Roma, Italy. · Ann N Y Acad Sci. · Pubmed #16855171 No free full text.
Abstract: Twenty consecutive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (mean age 50.4 +/- 10.5 years; 17 females; mean disease duration 5.78 +/- 3.75 years) enrolled for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) blockers therapy (10 infliximab and 10 etanercept) were selected. Before starting therapy, 3 and 6 months thereafter all patients were evaluated for disease activity score (DAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nerve growth factor (NGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). After 3 and 6 months a significant reduction in DAS, ESR, CRP, and IL-6 was observed, whereas no significant differences of NGF and BDNF serum levels were found. These preliminary results confirm that TNF-alpha blockers significantly improve disease activity and inflammation in RA; nevertheless further studies are needed to explain the mechanisms regulating NGF and BDNF release in RA patients treated with TNF-alpha blockers.
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