RESEARCH - Synovial tissue heterogeneity in RA in relationship to disease activity and biomarkers in peripheral blood

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Arthritis Rheum. 2010 Feb 22.

Synovial tissue heterogeneity in rheumatoid arthritis in relationship

to disease activity and biomarkers in peripheral blood.

van Baarsen LG, Wijbrandts CA, Timmer TC, van der Pouw Kraan TC, Tak

PP, Verweij CL.

Dept. of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE:: We investigated the clinical relevance of synovial tissue

subtypes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and searched for peripheral

blood (PB) markers that may serve as biomarkers for tissue subtypes.

METHODS:: Gene expression analysis using cDNA-microarrays was applied

on paired synovial tissue biopsies and PB samples derived from 17 RA

patients. Molecular tissue subtypes were correlated with histological

parameters (CD3, CD22, CD38, CD68, CD163, TNFalpha, ICAM-I, VCAM, and

E-selectin), disease characteristics and PB markers. PANTHER

classification was used for pathway analysis.

RESULTS:: Genomic subtyping of rheumatoid synovia in high and low

inflammation tissues based on gene expression profiles exactly matched

with immunohistochemical classification. The patients with the high

inflammation tissue type had higher disease activity score, higher

C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, higher erythrocyte sedimentation

rates (ESR), increased numbers of platelets and shorter disease

duration. Comparative analysis of PB gene expression profiles yielded

no statistically significant differences between the two tissue groups

based at the single gene level. PANTHER pathway analysis revealed a

significant association of an increased protein biosynthesis with the

high inflammation tissue.

CONCLUSION:: High tissue inflammation is associated with more severe

disease and shorter disease duration. Differential pathway level

activity of genes involved in protein-synthesis in PB is associated

with tissue subtypes, which cannot be detected at the single gene

level.

PMID: 20178127

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20178127

Not an MD