Elevated levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Correlation with disease activity

To evaluate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in relation to disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), VEGF in the serum of 155 pa tients with RA and 75 healthy control subjects was quantified by our highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. VEGF levels were found to cor relate with the articular index (AI) and Lansbury's activity index (LI). Pa tients with RA had a mean serum VEGF concentration of 153.5 +/- 111.8 pg/ml , which was significantly higher than control subjects (104.8 +/- 65.7 pg/m l; P<0.01). VEGF concentration was elevated significantly according to dise ase progression as expressed by stages I to IV and correlated with AI (r=0. 530, P<0.0001) and LI (r=0.688, P<0.0001) in stages I and II as well as wit h the conventional erythrocyte sedimentation rate or serum C-reactive prote in concentration. Serum VEGF levels may therefore be valuable as a marker o f disease activity in patients with early RA, and this cytokine may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of RA. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science In c. All rights reserved.