Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)is a multifactorial, systemic, progressive, inflammatory disease which is characterized with bone and cartilage destruction. Synovial angiogenesis is important at the etiopathology. SCUBE (Signal peptide-CUB-EGF domain-containing protein) is rather a new surface cell protein. Its secretion increases with inflammation and hypoxic conditions. Its relations with inflammation and angiogenesis are shown in preclinical studies.

Objectives The purpose is to study levels of newly identified plasmaSCUBE 1 and 3 and other angiogenesis markers and analysis of changes after treatment in RA patients. Moreover, to determine whether a correlation with this change in SCUBE proteins after treatment, clinical parameters and with joint ultrasound findings.

Methods This study covers patients diagnosed with RA associated with 2010 American Collage of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnosis criteria matched with healthy controllers who are equivalent of RA patients in terms of age and gender. Detailed background information and examination of the patients were recorded and disease activity scores (DAS28) were figured out and US7 scores were calculated. The levels of SCUBE 1–3, Vascular Endotedial Groving Factor (VEGF), Matrix metaloproteinaz-9 (MM-9), Interlökin-6 (IL-6), CD40L were evaluated with the method of Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). Clinical and laboratory measurements were re-evaluated at the third month after treatment.

Results This study covers 56 individuals; 28 of whom were diagnosed with RA and 28 of them were healthy controllers. Significant differences were observed between RA patients and healthy controller groups in terms of MMP-9 levels (p<0,05). Levels of SCUBE-1, SCUBE-3, VEGF, İL-6 ve CD-40 were similar (p>0,05).After treatment VEGF levels were significantly lower compared to pre- treatment (p<0,05), the changes in SCUBE-1, SCUBE-3, İL-6, CD-40 ve MMP-9 levels were not statistically significant (p>0.05). After treatment ultrasound scores were significantly lower than before treatment (p<0.05).

Conclusions In our study, significant improvements were observed in clinical, laboratory and ultrasound findings after treatment. MMP-9 and VEGF were associated with disease activity. SCUBE proteins which have been newly identified markers of angiogenesis were shown no relationship with disease activity.

References

1. Szekanecz Z, Besenyei T, Paragh G, Koch AE Angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis.Autoimmunity. 2009;7:563–731.

2. Yanga M, Mingyang G, Yonghe H Jiang y. Scube regulates synovial angiogenesis-related signaling. Medical Hypotheses 2013;27: 948–953.

3. Lainer-Carr D, Brahn E. Angiogenesis inhibition as a therapeutic approach for inflammatory synovitis. Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol. 2007;3:434–42.

References

Disclosure of Interest None declared