title: Serum levels of long pentraxin PTX3 in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate PTX3 feasibility to provide a prognostic tool in PMR clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Circulating PTX3 levels were measured in 93 PMR patients at disease onset and during corticosteroid therapy and in 46 normal controls (NC) by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No difference in PTX3 concentrations was observed between NC and PMR either at disease onset and during follow-up or between groups of patients defined according to the presence of recurrence/relapse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PTX3 serum levels do not increase significantly in active PMR. Further studies on patients with giant-cell arteritis could evaluate whether large vessel involvement may be associated to increased PTX3 levels.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, IRCCS, Bologna, Italy. lia.pulsatelli@ior.it.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pulsatelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Macchioni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boiardi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salvarani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cantini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meliconi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000032:analysis*; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins