Cell-free DNA in the plasma of patients with systemic sclerosis.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the concentration of cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) in the plasma of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to examine the correlation of cf-DNA with clinical variables of the disease. The study population consisted of 122 SSc patients and 16 healthy controls. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected by direct assessment. The beta-globin gene was used to determine the total amount of DNA in the plasma by real-time quantitative PCR analysis. cf-DNA was found in all patients (mean concentration 1,420.7 copies/ml) and controls (mean concentration 1,462.5), with no significant difference. In SSc patients, no correlation was found between cf-DNA and the type of organ involvement, but patients with active disease presented significantly higher cf-DNA concentrations than those with inactive disease (p < 0.05). Our data suggest that cf-DNA could provide a useful biomarker for the assessment of disease activity in SSc patients.
Mosca
Marta
M
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma no. 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy. marta.mosca@int.med.unipi.it
Giuliano
Tiziana
T
Cuomo
Giovanna
G
Doveri
Marica
M
Tani
Chiara
C
Curcio
Michele
M
Abignano
Giuseppina
G
De Feo
Francesca
F
Bazzichi
Laura
L
Della Rossa
Alessandra
A
Valentini
Gabriele
G
Bombardieri
Stefano
S
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000235:genetics; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D001609:Beta-Globulins; D015415:Biomarkers; D004247:DNA