Fucosylation of alpha1-acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid) compared with traditional biochemical markers of inflammation in recent onset rheumatoid arthritis.
BACKGROUND
Fucosylation of alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP, orosomucoid) has previously been found to be increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, the degree of fucosylation has been suggested to reflect disease activity. Therefore, we investigated the fucosylation of AGP in 131 patients (96 women and 35 men) with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We compared the results with traditional biochemical markers of inflammation, i.e. plasma concentrations of AGP (P-AGP), and C-reactive protein (P-CRP).


METHODS
AGP fucosylation measured with a novel lectin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was compared with a disease activity score (DAS28) and its components, and with P-AGP, and P-CRP at the time of diagnosis, and at a follow-up visit 1 year later.


RESULTS
Both men and women with RA had increased AGP fucosylation compared to healthy individuals. We found a weak correlation between AGP fucosylation and DAS28 only in men. In men with initially increased AGP fucosylation, the level of fucosylation correlated with the change in DAS28 during the first year following diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that AGP fucosylation is not superior to traditional markers of disease activity in RA. However, AGP fucosylation may give some additional information to traditional biochemical markers on the disease progression in men.
Rydén
Ingvar
I
Department of Clinical Chemistry, Kalmar County Hospital, S-39185 Kalmar, Sweden. ingvar.ryden@swipnet.se
Påhlsson
Peter
P
Lundblad
Arne
A
Skogh
Thomas
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005643:Fucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000378:metabolism*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D009961:Orosomucoid; D005643:Fucose; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor