Serum levels of long pentraxin PTX3 in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate PTX3 feasibility to provide a prognostic tool in PMR clinical practice. METHODS: Circulating PTX3 levels were measured in 93 PMR patients at disease onset and during corticosteroid therapy and in 46 normal controls (NC) by ELISA. RESULTS: No difference in PTX3 concentrations was observed between NC and PMR either at disease onset and during follow-up or between groups of patients defined according to the presence of recurrence/relapse. CONCLUSIONS: PTX3 serum levels do not increase significantly in active PMR. Further studies on patients with giant-cell arteritis could evaluate whether large vessel involvement may be associated to increased PTX3 levels.