OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease characterised by synovitis and joint destruction. The pathogenesis of RA is not clear, but is considered to be an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder, in which the complement system plays an important role. Although cell-derived microparticles (MPs) have been associated with inflammation and complement activation, it is unknown whether MPs are either cause or consequence. Therefore, we investigated whether circulating MPs differ between patients with very early as yet untreated arthritis and healthy controls, and whether intensive anti-inflammatory treatment of such patients affects circulating MPs. METHODS: Patients with RA (n=24) and controls (n=15) were included. Nine patients with RA were re-evaluated after 8 weeks of intensive treatment with a combination of drugs ('COmBination therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis' (COBRA) scheme). Disease activity was measured by erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP) and Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28). Flow cytometry was used to study MPs and exposure of complement activator molecules and complement components. RESULTS: At baseline, concentrations of MPs exposing C1q, CRP or serum amyloid-P (SAP)were all significantly elevated in patients with early RA compared to controls (p=0.003, p=0.002 and p=0.003, respectively). Upon treatment, DAS28 score, ESR and CRP levels significantly decreased (p=0.008, p=0.008 and p=0.012), but the concentrations of circulating MPs and MPs exposing complement components or activator molecules were unaffected. CONCLUSION: Circulating MPs exposing complement components or activator molecules are elevated in early RA. Since a strong anti-inflammatory therapy suppressed inflammation in patients with early RA but not levels of circulating MPs, it is unlikely that inflammation is the main underlying cause of MP release in these patients.
OBJECTIVES:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease characterised by synovitis and joint destruction. The pathogenesis of RA is not clear, but is considered to be an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder, in which the complement system plays an important role. Although cell-derived microparticles (MPs) have been associated with inflammation and complement activation, it is unknown whether MPs are either cause or consequence. Therefore, we investigated whether circulating MPs differ between patients with very early as yet untreated arthritis and healthy controls, and whether intensive anti-inflammatory treatment of such patients affects circulating MPs. METHODS:Patients with RA (n=24) and controls (n=15) were included. Nine patients with RA were re-evaluated after 8 weeks of intensive treatment with a combination of drugs ('COmBination therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis' (COBRA) scheme). Disease activity was measured by erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP) and Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28). Flow cytometry was used to study MPs and exposure of complement activator molecules and complement components. RESULTS: At baseline, concentrations of MPs exposing C1q, CRP or serum amyloid-P (SAP)were all significantly elevated in patients with early RA compared to controls (p=0.003, p=0.002 and p=0.003, respectively). Upon treatment, DAS28 score, ESR and CRP levels significantly decreased (p=0.008, p=0.008 and p=0.012), but the concentrations of circulating MPs and MPs exposing complement components or activator molecules were unaffected. CONCLUSION: Circulating MPs exposing complement components or activator molecules are elevated in early RA. Since a strong anti-inflammatory therapy suppressed inflammation in patients with early RA but not levels of circulating MPs, it is unlikely that inflammation is the main underlying cause of MP release in these patients.
Authors: María Yáñez-Mó; Pia R-M Siljander; Zoraida Andreu; Apolonija Bedina Zavec; Francesc E Borràs; Edit I Buzas; Krisztina Buzas; Enriqueta Casal; Francesco Cappello; Joana Carvalho; Eva Colás; Anabela Cordeiro-da Silva; Stefano Fais; Juan M Falcon-Perez; Irene M Ghobrial; Bernd Giebel; Mario Gimona; Michael Graner; Ihsan Gursel; Mayda Gursel; Niels H H Heegaard; An Hendrix; Peter Kierulf; Katsutoshi Kokubun; Maja Kosanovic; Veronika Kralj-Iglic; Eva-Maria Krämer-Albers; Saara Laitinen; Cecilia Lässer; Thomas Lener; Erzsébet Ligeti; Aija Linē; Georg Lipps; Alicia Llorente; Jan Lötvall; Mateja Manček-Keber; Antonio Marcilla; Maria Mittelbrunn; Irina Nazarenko; Esther N M Nolte-'t Hoen; Tuula A Nyman; Lorraine O'Driscoll; Mireia Olivan; Carla Oliveira; Éva Pállinger; Hernando A Del Portillo; Jaume Reventós; Marina Rigau; Eva Rohde; Marei Sammar; Francisco Sánchez-Madrid; N Santarém; Katharina Schallmoser; Marie Stampe Ostenfeld; Willem Stoorvogel; Roman Stukelj; Susanne G Van der Grein; M Helena Vasconcelos; Marca H M Wauben; Olivier De Wever Journal: J Extracell Vesicles Date: 2015-05-14
Authors: V Viñuela-Berni; L Doníz-Padilla; N Figueroa-Vega; H Portillo-Salazar; C Abud-Mendoza; L Baranda; R González-Amaro Journal: Clin Exp Immunol Date: 2015-04-27 Impact factor: 4.330
Authors: Nathalie Cloutier; Sisareuth Tan; Luc H Boudreau; Catriona Cramb; Roopashree Subbaiah; Lauren Lahey; Alexandra Albert; Ruslan Shnayder; Reuben Gobezie; Peter A Nigrovic; Richard W Farndale; William H Robinson; Alain Brisson; David M Lee; Eric Boilard Journal: EMBO Mol Med Date: 2012-12-11 Impact factor: 12.137