LEVELS OF PENTRAXIN 3 AND RELATIONSHIP WITH DISEASE ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS

Objective: Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the sacroiliac joint and vertebral column. Pentraxin (PTX) 3 is an acute phase protein known to be associated with chronic inflammation. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that serum PTX3 levels might be elevated as a marker of inflammation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Material and methods: A total of 73 patients older than 20 years (48 males, 25 females, mean age 32.30 ± 6.40 years) were included. The ankylosing spondilitis group consisted of 46 patients (18 females, 28 males, mean age 33.30 ± 6.12 years) diagnosed with ankylosing spondilitis by the Modified New York Criteria, and the control group consisted of 27 healthy individuals (7 females, 20 males, mean age 30.59 ± 6.62 years). Groups were compared by demographic, anthropometric, biochemical data, and by serum PTX3 levels. The ankylosing spondilitis group was also divided into 2 subgroups (active or remission) by disease activity according to the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and compared by serum PTX3 levels. PTX3 was measured with the enzyme linked immunosorbent method. Results: PTX3 levels were higher in the ankylosing spondylitis group compared to the control group (0.29 ± 0.83 ng/mL vs. 0.09 ± 0.06 ng/mL, p=0.009). Levels of serum PTX3 were similar in groups with active and remitted ankylosing spondilitis (0.34 ± 0.99 ng/mL vs 0.37 ± 1.15 ng/mL, p>0.05). No correlation was determined between PTX3 and disease activity (p>0.05). Conclusion: These results are supportive of the hypothesis that levels of serum PTX 3 might be elevated in association with inflammation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis; however, results also demonstrate that there is no significant correlation with disease activity