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Serum Levels of Calreticulin in Correlation with Disease Activity in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Abstract

Objective

The aim of our study was to investigate the contribution of serum calreticulin (CRT) in the assessment of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Serum CRT levels were measured by ELISA in 70 patients with established RA, 30 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 25 other autoimmune diseases, 20 osteoarthritis (OA), and 35 of healthy controls (HC). Correlations of CRT serum levels with disease activity [Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28)], erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed. Serum CRT levels were also detected in RA patients whose RF, anti-CCP and anti- MCV antibodies were positive and negative.

Results

Serum CRT levels in RA patients (4.817 ± 2.425 ng/ml) was significantly higher (P <0.05) compared with those in the serum of OA (3.574 ± 0.942 ng/ml), SLE (4.013 ± 1.536 ng/ml), other autoimmune diseases (3.882 ± 0.837 ng/ml) and HC (3.726 ± 0.627 ng/ml). Significant positive correlation of CRT with DAS28, ESR and CRP was found in RA patients. Furthermore, RA patients whose anti-CCP and anti-MCV antibodies were positive had higher levels of CRT (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Serum CRT levels were increased in patients with RA compared with those controls. Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between serum CRT levels and disease activity in RA. It might be used as a potential biomarker for clinical diagnosis and provide additional information regarding disease activity along with the traditional indices such as ESR and CRP.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the subjects for their participation in this study.

Funding statement

This study was supported by the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher education funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE, 20101202110008).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin Medical University, 1 Guangdong Road, Tianjin, 300203, China

    Min Ni, Yichao Wang, Hongmei Ding, Chen Shen & Fang Zheng

  2. Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

    Min Ni & Fang Zheng

  3. Department of Rheumatology, General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, No. 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China

    Wei Wei & Na Zhang

Authors
  1. Min Ni
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  2. Wei Wei
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  3. Yichao Wang
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  4. Na Zhang
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  5. Hongmei Ding
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  6. Chen Shen
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  7. Fang Zheng
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fang Zheng.

Additional information

Min Ni, and Wei Wei contributed equally to this manuscript.

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Ni, M., Wei, W., Wang, Y. et al. Serum Levels of Calreticulin in Correlation with Disease Activity in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. J Clin Immunol 33, 947–953 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-013-9885-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-013-9885-2

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