Serum and synovial fluid levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with inflammatory and degenerative arthritis

ABSTRACT

This work conducted to evaluate the clinical utility of measuring vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum and synovial fluid [SF] samples from patients with early rheumatoid arthritis [RA], other recent-onset inflammatory arthritides, established RA and osteoarthritis [OA], as well as non-arthritic healthy controls. The study, also, investigated whether serum and SF VEGF had any relation with the standard clinical, laboratory and radiological markers of RA disease. The results showed that serum VEGF levels were elevated in patients with RA, inflammatory arthritis and OA in comparison with non-arthritic controls. Patients with recent-onset RA had the highest VEGF values both in serum and SF. In early and established RA groups, VEGF levels were higher in SF than in the serum. In the early inflammatory arthritides and the OA groups, the opposite occurred. Serum and SF VEGF were higher in active than inactive RA disease, with a positive correlation between their levels and each of ESR and disease activity grade. Moreover, values of VEGF in SF, but not in serum correlated well with the development of radiological damage in the established RA group