Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica.

Objective: To examine the localisation of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in the inflamed vessel wall in temporal arteritis (TA) and to measure MCP-1 in plasma both in patients with TA and patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).

Methods: By immunohistochemical techniques MCP-1 was localised to the vessel wall in patients with TA. In TA, PMR, and healthy controls MCP-1 was quantified by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in plasma.

Human Parvovirus and giant cell arteritis: a selective arteritic impact?

Peak incidences of giant cell arteritis (GCA) following human Parvovirus epidemics were found in 2 previous epidemiological studies. The incidence of GCA [temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica (TA + PMR)] was studied before and after a major epidemic of human Parvovirus in 1994. Clinical data from the National Patient Register showed a significant inversion of the TA/PMR ratio during a 12-month period after an HPV epidemic.

A reduced CD8+ lymphocyte subset distinguishes patients with polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis from patients with other diseases.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic and screening test qualities of concentrations of the CD8+ lymphocyte subset in peripheral blood to discriminate patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) from patients with other diseases.

Methods: A CD8+ lymphocyte test was performed in 454 patients from the Department of Medicine, Randers Central Hospital. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the test were calculated and presented as receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

[Synchronous variations in the incidence of temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica in Danish counties. Association with epidemics of Mycoplasma pneumonia infection].

The incidences of temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica during a twelve year period were studied in different regions of Denmark. Data concerning the incidences of these diagnoses were obtained from two general hospitals from 1982 to 1994 and from the National Patient Register of all diagnoses from all hospitals in 13 of 16 Danish counties from 1982 til 1993. Data from all temporal artery biopsies in two counties were also obtained.