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ABSTRACT: Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a rare large vessel vasculitis that is difficult to diagnose in the early stages. Therefore, it is also very difficult to manage and prevent irreversible vascular damage in TA. A 19-year-old female patient with back pain was examined using [(18)F]-FDG-PET to detect the source of inflammation. Specific accumulation of [(18)F]-FDG was observed in the thoracic and abdominal aorta, leading to the diagnosis of TA. Corticosteroid treatment resulted in clinical remission. However, the serum amyloid A (SAA) levels remained elevated. A follow-up scan showed residual uptake of [(18)F]-FDG in the thoracic aorta suggesting subclinical vascular inflammation. Methotrexate was combined with the corticosteroid, and the elevated levels of SAA became normalized. The present case suggests that monitoring serum levels of SAA and [(18)F]-FDG-PET could help clinicians to make adequate treatment adjustments in TA patients.
Rheumatology International 12/2009; 30(4):561-3. · 1.88 Impact Factor
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Clinical and experimental rheumatology 28(1):141-2. · 2.15 Impact Factor
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Yuichiro Nishino,
Mami Tamai,
Atsushi Kawakami,
Tomohiro Koga, Junya Makiyama,
Yumi Maeda,
Yuka Jiuchi,
Taichiro Miyashita,
Yasumori Izumi,
Katsumi Eguchi,
Kiyoshi Migita
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ABSTRACT: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic vasculitis that affects large elastic arteries. Monitoring of disease activity is crucial because the disease may progress despite treatment with glucocorticoids. Elevated levels of B cell activating factor belonging to TNF family (BAFF) have been observed in patients with autoimmune diseases. In this study, we investigated whether dysregulation of BAFF occurs in TA.
Serum levels of BAFF were measured in sera from 9 patients with TA including 6 patients with follow up after induction therapy.
Circulating BAFF levels in TA patients were higher than in those in healthy subjects. The high levels of BAFF in active TA patients were decreased when the patients entered remission.
To our knowledge, this is the first study to show elevated levels of BAFF in active TA patients. These findings suggest that this cytokine contributes to vasculitis in TA and raise the possibility that monitoring of serum BAFF might aid clinicians in making adequate treatment adjustments in TA patients.
Clinical and experimental rheumatology 28(1 Suppl 57):14-7. · 2.15 Impact Factor
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Yuki Yasunaga,
Taichiro Miyashita, Junya Makiyama,
Tomohiro Koga,
Yasumori Izumi,
Amane Kitazato,
Shinichiro Kobayashi,
Hikaru Fujioka,
Ayako Matsumoto,
Masahiro Ito,
Kiysohi Migita
Clinical and experimental rheumatology 28(1 Suppl 57):111-2. · 2.15 Impact Factor
