title: Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-1 (sTREM-1): a new mediator involved in early ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible role of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum sTREM-1 levels were measured in 80 patients with AS and 30 healthy controls, and synovial fluid (SF) sTREM-1 levels were tested in 6 AS patients using ELISA. Demographic data were collected, and patient's disease activity (BASDAI), functional ability (BASFI), and global assessment (BAS-G) were evaluated. We also tested erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and IgA in these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum sTREM-1 levels were detectable (definition, > or = 15 pg/ml) in 31.3% (25/80) of the AS patients, as compared to only 10% (3/30) of healthy controls (p = 0.027). SF sTREM-1 levels were detectable (> or = 15 pg/ml) in 83% (5/6) of the AS patients. The detectable rate of sTREM-1 in SF was significantly higher than in serum (p = 0.018). Disease duration was shorter in AS patients with "higher" serum sTREM-1 levels (> or = 30 pg/ml) versus those with "lower" levels (< 30 pg/ml) [mean (SD), 4.3 (3.7) vs 8.6 (7.8) yrs, p = 0.036], but the differences between these 2 groups of patients were not evident based on results of BASDAI, BASFI, BAS-G, ESR, CRP, or IgA levels. Of note, serum sTREM-1 levels inversely correlated with disease duration (r = -0.433, p = 0.03) in the 25 AS patients with detectable sTREM-1 levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  sTREM-1 seems to be a new mediator involved in patients with AS, particularly in the early stages of disease.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Hsiung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hsien-Tzung
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Hung-An
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Toong-Hua
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Chin-Tien
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chung-Tei
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D000073871:Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; C408842:TREM1 protein, human; D000073871:Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1