title: Serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration varies among rheumatoid arthritis patients estimated by SAA/CRP ratio.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  C reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) are similarly sensitive indicators of inflammation, but discrepancies are recognized in several disease conditions. SAA levels are generally higher and vary more among individuals. The significance of the SAA/CRP ratio was evaluated in the estimation of SAA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera of out-patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy subjects were measured for CRP and SAA cross-sectionally and longitudinally by a highly sensitive latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay. The results were classified into four groups according to the CRP concentration, and the SAA/CRP ratios were calculated and evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the cross-sectional study, CRP and SAA were shown to correlate significantly in sera of patients with RA, but not in healthy subjects. The SAA/CRP ratios were wide RA patients and tended to decrease in the range and mean values were observed depending on the concentration of CRP. In the longitudinal study, variations of the ratio among individuals were wide, but smaller and similar within individuals. The difference in magnitude of the ratios is due to the difference in SAA concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Variations of SAA/CRP ratios were affected by SAA concentrations. The ratio should be checked in the evaluation of SAA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima 960-1247, Japan.
authors.forename: Masae
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kokubun
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imafuku
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohguchi
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashikawa
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D002097:C-Reactive Protein