Plasma fibrinogen along with patient-reported outcome measures enhances management of polymyalgia rheumatica: a prospective study.

J Rheumatol

From the Department of Rheumatology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin; Department of Rheumatology, St. Vincents University Hospital, Dublin; and Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland.

Published: May 2014

Objective: We sought to prospectively examine the responsiveness of a number of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures in polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), as well as their relationship to the biomarkers erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and plasma fibrinogen.

Methods: Sixty patients with PMR were divided into active (n = 25) or inactive (n = 35) disease groups based on symptoms; physician assessment; and the biomarkers ESR, CRP, and plasma fibrinogen. Groups underwent assessment at baseline and 6 weeks. Disease activity measures and relevant PRO measures were recorded. Measures of responsiveness were compared for all PRO and biomarkers.

Results: Visual analog scale disease activity (VASDA) and VAS quality of life (VASQOL) are more responsive to change in disease activity than VAS pain, morning stiffness, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and PMR-activity score (AS). Analysis of PMR-AS versus VASDA, VASQOL, and HAQ showed correlation coefficients of 0.87 (p < 0.001), 0.80 (p < 0.001), and 0.68 (p < 0.001), respectively. Receiver-operating curve (ROC) analysis revealed VASDA to be more specific than either HAQ (0.95 vs 0.85; p < 0.001) or VASQOL (0.95 vs 0.93; p < 0.001) for the detection of response to treatment in active PMR. Overall, fibrinogen showed superior correlation coefficients with the various PRO than either of the standard biomarkers ESR or CRP. In addition, standardized response means for fibrinogen, ESR, and CRP were 1.63, 1.2, and 1.05, respectively, indicating that plasma fibrinogen was the most responsive biomarker for assessment of change in disease activity.

Conclusion: VASDA and VASQOL are the most responsive PRO to changes in disease activity in PMR. In addition, plasma fibrinogen demonstrated greater responsiveness to changes in disease activity and superior correlation with the various PRO measures recorded than did the standard biomarkers ESR and CRP.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.131055DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

disease activity
20
plasma fibrinogen
16
esr crp
16
pro measures
12
biomarkers esr
12
patient-reported outcome
8
polymyalgia rheumatica
8
crp plasma
8
measures recorded
8
vasqol responsive
8

Similar Publications

Background: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder associated with increased risk of kidney and liver damage. Current treatments have shown contradictory outcomes, and their long-term use causes unwanted side effects. could serve as a complementary medicine to current PCOS treatments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Structural insights into the role of the prosegment binding loop in a papain-superfamily cysteine protease from Treponema denticola.

Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun

February 2025

Department of Structural Biology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA.

Periodontal diseases afflict 20-50% of the global population and carry serious health and economic burdens. Chronic periodontitis is characterized by inflammation of the periodontal pocket caused by dysbiosis. This dysbiosis is coupled with an increase in the population of Treponema denticola, a spirochete bacterium with high mobility and invasivity mediated by a number of virulence factors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Advances and applications of genome-edited animal models for severe combined immunodeficiency.

Zool Res

January 2025

Stomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, China. E-mail:

Severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), characterized by profound immune system dysfunction, can lead to life-threatening infections and death. Animal models play a pivotal role in elucidating biological processes and advancing therapeutic strategies. Recent advances in gene-editing technologies, including zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), CRISPR/Cas9, and base editing, have significantly enhanced the generation of SCID models.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Elevated CXCL1 triggers dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra of C57BL/6J mice: Evaluation of a novel Parkinsonian mouse model.

Zool Res

January 2025

Institute of Brain Science and Disease, School of Basic Medicine, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, China. E-mail:

Substantial evidence points to the early onset of peripheral inflammation in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD), supporting the "body-first" hypothesis. However, there remains a notable absence of PD-specific animal models induced by inflammatory cytokines. This study introduces a novel mouse model of PD driven by the proinflammatory cytokine CXCL1, identified in our previous research.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Intranasal iron administration induces iron deposition, immunoactivation, and cell-specific vulnerability in the olfactory bulb of C57BL/6 mice.

Zool Res

January 2025

School of Basic Medicine, Institute of Brain Science and Disease, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Brain Diseases, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China. E-mail:

Iron is the most abundant transition metal in the brain and is essential for brain development and neuronal function; however, its abnormal accumulation is also implicated in various neurological disorders. The olfactory bulb (OB), an early target in neurodegenerative diseases, acts as a gateway for environmental toxins and contains diverse neuronal populations with distinct roles. This study explored the cell-specific vulnerability to iron in the OB using a mouse model of intranasal administration of ferric ammonium citrate (FAC).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!