Serum keratan sulfate levels in rheumatoid arthritis: inverse correlation with radiographic staging.
OBJECTIVE
To correlate the serum levels of keratan sulfate (KS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with different clinical and radiographic variables.


METHODS
Serum KS levels were measured in 85 patients with RA and 41 age matched controls. Patients with RA were classified according to their disease activity, the presence of rheumatoid factor, the medication prescribed, and to the severity of the joint radiographic changes.


RESULTS
Patients with RA had significantly (p < 0.02) higher levels of serum KS compared to the healthy controls. More significantly, there was an inverse correlation of the serum KS levels with the disease activity (p = 0.02) and the severity of the radiographic changes (p = 0.012).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum KS levels appear to correlate with the severity of articular cartilage damage in RA.
Haraoui
B
B
Rheumatic Disease Unit, Notre-Dame Hospital Research Center, Montreal, PQ, Canada.
Thonar
E J
EJ
Martel-Pelletier
J
J
Goulet
J R
JR
Raynauld
J P
JP
Ouellet
M
M
Pelletier
J P
JP
D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007632:Keratan Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011859:Radiography
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007632:Keratan Sulfate; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate