Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0039483 (giant cell arteritis)
 3,204 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Antibodies directed against citrullinated vimentin are members of the family of autoantibodies reactive with citrullinated proteins and are among the most specific serological markers for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was performed to test the diagnostic value of a newly developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies against a genetically modified citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) in comparison with a second-generation anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP2) ELISA test system. Blinded sera from 631 patients (409 consecutive out-patients and 222 randomly selected stored sera) with RA (n = 164) and non-RA (osteoarthritis [n = 120], polymyalgia rheumatica/giant cell arteritis [n = 80], spondyloarthritis [n = 36], and other inflammatory rheumatic or non-inflammatory disease [n = 67]) were tested for the presence of anti-MCV and anti-CCP2 antibodies according to the manufacturers' instructions. The diagnostic performance of the anti-MCV was comparable with the anti-CCP2 assay for the diagnosis of RA according to the calculated area under the curve (0.824; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.778-0.870 versus 0.818; 95% CI 0.767-0.869) as analysed by receiving operating characteristic curve. When categorised with a cutoff value of 20.0 U/ml (as recommended by the manufacturer), sensitivity and specificity of the anti-MCV ELISA were 69.5% (95% CI 61.9%-76.5%) and 90.8% (86.9%-93.8%), respectively, compared with 70.1% (62.5%-77.0%) and 98.7% (96.7%-99.6%) of the anti-CCP2 assay. Using the cutoff values of 19.0 U/ml and 81.5 U/ml for the anti-MCV test to obtain a sensitivity and specificity identical to the anti-CCP2 assay, showed a reduced specificity (89.8%; 85.8%-92.9%) and sensitivity (53.7%; 45.7%-61.5%), respectively, of the anti-MCV ELISA compared with the anti-CCP2 test. In conclusion, the serum ELISA testing for anti-MCV antibodies as well as the anti-CCP-2 assay perform comparably well in the diagnosis of RA. In the high-specificity range, however, the anti-CCP2 assay appears to be superior to the anti-MCV test.
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PMID:Diagnostic value of antibodies against a modified citrullinated vimentin in rheumatoid arthritis. 1685 19

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology affecting elderly patients and characterized by muscle pain and morning stiffness in proximal areas (pelvic and shoulder girdles and neck). It is sometimes difficult to distinguish PMR from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or vasculitis. In the present study, we examined the clinical characteristics of the patients diagnosed with PMR in our hospital retrospectively. There were 44 patients with the median age of 71s. Eighty percent of the patients were in their 60s or 70s, and 3 patients (6.8%) were in there 50s or younger. There was no sex preponderance in frequency. Fifteen patients (34%) presented with both proximal and distal muscle pain. Arthritis occurred in 16 patients (36%), the half of which was monarthritis or oligoarthritis, and was more involved in wrist or knee joint. Only 3 patients had temporal arteritis (TA) complicated with PMR. Mean of maximum serum CRP was 8.18 mg/dl, and rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies were positive in 2 patients and a patient, respectively. There was no patient positive for ANCA. Serum MMP-3 levels tended to be higher in female patients. Median of maximum prednisolone (PSL) dose used for the treatment was 0.195 mg/kg of body weight daily. No patient needed any immunosuppressants. In the 26 patients we had a chance to follow, there were no patients who developed RA 6 months after the initial diagnosis. Progression from PMR to RA was reported, and mean period between the diagnosis of PMR and RA was one to 5 years.
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PMID:[Clinical features in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica]. 1972 49