Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Giant cells in temporal artery biopsies and the risk of large vessel involvement in patients with giant cell arteritis
Main finding · LVI, age-adjustedResult — go to the resultHazard ratio 0.48 95 % CI 0.27–0.86Authors' conclusion
The negative association with giant cells in the TAB suggests that patients with LVI constitute a subset of GCA with particular disease mechanisms.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and positive temporal artery biopsies 1997–2010, identified through a regional pathology registermean age 75.7 years
- Participants
- 274 patients
- Exposure
- Giant cells present vs absent in temporal artery biopsies (TAB)
- Outcome
- Time-dependent large vessel involvement (LVI)
Methodological detailspopulation-based, Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression
- Population-based
- Kaplan-Meier
- Cox regression
Main finding
LVI, age-adjusted
Hazard ratio
0.48
95 % CI 0.27–0.86
Giant cells in TABvs No giant cells in TAB
HR 0.48 (95 % CI 0.27–0.86)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Survival free of LVI, 75th percentile
P = 0.014
Documented large vessel involvement (LVI) during follow-up (whole cohort)
- Patients with LVI
- 51 (19 %)
- Incidence rate
- 2.4/100 person-years
- Median time from GCA diagnosis to LVI
- 4.5 years (IQR 0.6-7.4)
- Aortic involvement
- 34 (67% of those with LVI; 12% of all GCA cases)
Original publication
Giant cells in temporal artery biopsies and the risk of large vessel involvement in patients with giant cell arteritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. Published 30 November 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →