Background
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive debilitating autoimmune disease,
affecting 1% of the world population, leading to cartilage and bone destruction
caused by insufficient apoptosis in the inflamed RA synovium. Survivin is a protooncogene
biomarker known for its anti-apoptotic and cell cycle-regulating
properties. Overexpression of survivin in non-cancerous processes has been
linked to inflammation, presumably contributing to the decreased apoptosis in
the T cells of the cerebrospinal fluid in multiple sclerosis, in skin lesions of
patients with psoriasis and in synovial tissue of patients with RA.
Aim of the work
The aim of this study is to measure the serum and synovial levels of survivin and
clarify their relations to disease activity, functional capacity, and radiographic
damage in patients with RA.
Patients and methods
This study was carried out on 50 patients withRAwho had a mean age of 46.4±10.94
years.Theywere39femalesand11males.Thecontrol groupwasofmatchedageand
sex, withameanageof 46.03±10.53yearsandfemale:male ratio of23: 7. Allpatients
were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, assessment of
disease activity by disease activity score 28 activity score, and assessment of
functional capacity and disability using Health Assessment Questionnaire. Plain
radiographs of both hands of feet were done, scored and graded by Larsen score.
Serum survivin fromall the studied participants and survivin levels in the synovial fluid
aspirated from 18 patients with RA who presented with knee effusion at the time of
examination weremeasured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using a pair of
matched anti bodies (R&D systems, Abingdon, Uk).
Results
The mean serum survivin level was highly statistically significantly elevated
(P |
