title: Serum levels of soluble CD44 variant isoforms are elevated in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Serum levels of soluble CD44 variant proteins including sequences encoded by exon v5 and exon v6 (sCD44v5, sCD44v6) were determined in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases: 56 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA+) and 31 with miscellaneous inflammatory rheumatic diseases (MIRD). There were very significantly higher serum levels of sCD44v5 and sCD44v6 in patients with RA+ than in those with MIRD (RA+ to MIRD: sCD44v5: 81 +/- 54 ng/ml to 33 +/- 13 ng/ml; sCD44v6: 237 +/- 124 ng/ml to 166 +/- 53 ng/ml; both P << 0.001). In RA+ elevated serum levels of sCD44v5 were correlated with the inflammatory activity of disease. In 17 patients with RA+ three or four follow-up measurements of sCD44v5 were performed within 6 months. The development of sCD44v5 serum levels reflected the clinical course of disease in the patients investigated.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Donauspital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Kittl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haberhauer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruckser
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Selleny
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rech-Weichselbraun
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hinterberger
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D006454:Hemoglobins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor