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Clinical and epidemiological research
Concise report
VCAM-1 serum levels are associated with arthropathy in hereditary haemochromatosis
  1. Valerie Nell-Duxneuner1,
  2. Roland Axmann1,
  3. Emma Husar-Memmer1,
  4. Tomáš Dallos2,3,
  5. Christian Datz4,
  6. Andreas Stadlmayr4,
  7. Elmar Aigner4,5,
  8. Matthias Englbrecht3,
  9. Georg Schett3,
  10. Jochen Zwerina1,3
  1. 11st Medical Department, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK and AUVA Trauma Centre Meidling, Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria
  2. 22nd Department of Pediatrics, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
  3. 3Department of Internal Medicine 3, Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Nürnberg, Germany
  4. 4Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Oberndorf, Oberndorf, Austria
  5. 51st Medical Department, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
  1. Correspondence to Dr Jochen Zwerina, 1st Medical Department, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK and AUVA Trauma Centre Meidling, Hanusch Hospital, Vienna 1140, Austria; jochen.zwerina{at}osteologie.at

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the role of vascular adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) in patients with hereditary haemochromatosis (HH) with or without arthropathy.

Methods Sera from a large cross-sectional cohort of unselected HH patients (n=147) were obtained and compared to an age-matched and sex-matched control group. Serum levels of VCAM-1 were measured by ELISA and were correlated with clinical measures.

Results VCAM-1 serum levels were elevated in HH patients as compared to matched controls (mean 913±456 vs 654±451 ng/ml, p<0.0001). Within the HH patient group, VCAM-1 levels were much higher in patients with arthropathy and joint replacement surgery. VCAM-1 levels correlated well with radiographic measures of HH arthropathy (r=0.36, p<0.0001). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed a highly significant association of VCAM-1 serum levels and the presence of HH arthropathy, independent from diabetes, body mass index and age.

Conclusions VCAM-1 serum levels emerge as a biomarker for haemochromatosis arthropathy.

  • Hand Osteoarthritis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Epidemiology

https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2012-202800

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