title: Does pregnancy-associated plasma protein A have a role in allergic rhinitis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), also known as insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4 protease, is postulated to be a new inflammatory marker in various clinical situations such as cardiovascular events, dialysis, renal transplantation, and asthma. PAPP-A also is produced in high concentrations by trophoblasts during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated PAPP-A levels in allergic rhinitis patients and compared these with levels in healthy subjects. Thirty-one newly diagnosed allergic rhinitis patients and 29 healthy controls were included in the study. Serum PAPP-A, IgE, urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase (CK), CK-MB isoenzyme, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum PAPP-A level was significantly higher (p = 0.013) in the allergic rhinitis group (6.1 +/- 2.9 mU/L) than in the control group (4.5 +/- 1.7 mU/L). The PAPP-A level in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma (6.1 +/- 2.3 mU/L) was not significantly different (p = 0.959) from that in patients with allergic rhinitis alone (6.1 +/- 3.3 mU/L). The serum PAPP-A level in allergic rhinitis patients who had turbinate hypertrophy (6.9 +/- 2.2 mU/L) had a tendency to be higher than that in patients who had no turbinate hypertrophy (5.5 +/- 3.2 mU/L); however, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.151).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased PAPP-A activity may be involved in the inflammation and tissue remodelling that occurs in allergic rhinitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Düzce University School of Medicine, Düzce, Turkey. enderguclu@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Güçlü
authors.forename: Abdurrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Abdurrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tokmak
authors.forename: Sadik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Ozcan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: Nermin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akkan
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Egeli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A