Background/Purpose: Assessment of disease activity is one of the major difficulties in patients with TAK during follow-up. To date, no biomarker is universally accepted to be a surrogate for active disease in TAK. In this study, we aimed to investigate  plasma Pentraxin-3(PTX-3) level and its correlation with clinical activity in patients with TAK.

Methods: The study included 94 patients (age: 43.3±13.6 years, F/M: 80/14) with TAK and 40 age and sex matched control subjects (age: 41.5±9.3 years, F/M: 28/12). All patients fulfilled the criteria of American College of Rheumatology (ACR). TAK patients were evaluated by physician’s global assessment (PGA; active/inactive) and Kerr’ criteria(if available). Recently, a new composite index- ITAS2010 (Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score) for the clinical assessment of TAK was developed and validated. We also used ITAS2010 to assess clinical activity. Plasma samples were separated to measure PTX-3. Commercial enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used for measurements of plasma PTX-3.

Results: Mean disease duration the patients was 6.8±7.2(0-42) years. Thirty-three (35.5%) patients were clinically active according to PGA. While, Kerr’s activity assessment was available in 79 patients, ITAS2010 was available in 88 patients. Twenty-five(31.6%) patients were active according to the Kerr’s, 28(31.8%) patients were active according the ITAS2010. Plasma Ptx3 level was significantly higher in TAK compared to healthy controls(3,5±2,5 nanogram(ng)/ml vs. 2,5±1,6 ng/ml, p=0.029). PTX-3 level was found similar between active and inactive patients according to all assessment tools( PGA, Kerr’ and ITAS2010)(Table 1). PTX-3 level significantly correlated with  only serum CRP level. PTX-3 level was also similar between taking corticosteroid treatment and not taking.

Conclusion: Although plasma PTX-3 levels were higher in patients with TAK compared to healthy controls, we observed no association with disease activity. PTX-3 level was  similar between active and inactive patients according to all activity assessment tools such as PGA, Kerr’ and ITAS2010. Our results that PTX-3 level  has limited role as a biomarker for active disease in TAK.

Table 1: Plasma pentraxin-3 levels according to different activity assessment tools.

PGA:Physician’s global assessment, ITAS: Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/evaluation-of-plasma-pentraxin-3-level-in-patients-with-takayasus-arteritis/