title: Serum vascular endothelial growth factor in late rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the serum levels of VEGF in patients with rheumatoid arthritis of long duration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum VEGF levels were measured in 118 patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis according to the ACR criteria (mean duration 12 years). The disease activity score was evaluated by the method of van der Heijde et al.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of VEGF in patients with RA were significantly higher than in healthy controls. VEGF levels showed no correlation with CRP, SAA amyloid protein, or the disease activity score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that, contrary to the results reported in patients with early onset RA, where VEGF appears to play an active part in joint inflammation, in long-standing RA elevated VEGF serum levels may be an independent marker although its significance remain to be established.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Gayer
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Scheinberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000682:Amyloid / Q000097:blood; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D015415:Biomarkers; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D002097:C-Reactive Protein