Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Altered Plasma Levels and Tissue Expression of Fibroblast Activation Protein Alpha in Giant Cell Arteritis
Authors' conclusion
FAP expression in GCA is clearly modulated both in plasma and in vessels.
Study context
- Population
- Treatment-naive patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) or polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs); temporal artery biopsies and aorta samples
- Participants
- 60 / 63 / 42
- Comparison
- Treatment-naive GCA vs PMR vs age- and sex-matched HCs; inflamed GCA temporal artery biopsies (TABs) and aorta vs control tissues
- GCAn = 60
- PMRn = 63
- HCsn = 42reference
- Outcome
- Plasma levels and vascular expression of FAP
Methodological detailsage- and sex-matched healthy controls, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence
- Age- and sex-matched healthy controls
- ELISA
- Immunohistochemistry
- Immunofluorescence
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
baseline
- Baseline plasma FAP significantly lower in GCA vs PMR and HCs
- Baseline FAP inversely correlated with systemic markers of inflammation and angiogenesis
- FAP expression increased in inflamed TABs and aorta of GCA vs control tissues
- FAP abundantly expressed in fibroblasts and macrophages; some FAP+ fibroblasts expressed IL-6 and MMP-9
Further findings
Plasma FAP during follow-up in GCA · 3 months; Treatment-free remission (TFR)
- FAP decreased further at 3 months on remission and gradually increased to HC level in TFR
Original publication
Altered Plasma Levels and Tissue Expression of Fibroblast Activation Protein Alpha in Giant Cell Arteritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published 18 June 2024. doi:10.
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