Effects of a 15-month anti-TNF-α treatment on plasma levels of glycosaminoglycans in women with rheumatoid arthritis

• Published in: Arthritis research & therapy 2018-09, Vol.20 (1), p.211-211, Article 211
• Main Authors: Szeremeta, Anna, Jura-Półtorak, Agnieszka, Koźma, Ewa Maria, Głowacki, Andrzej, Kucharz, Eugeniusz Józef, Kopeć-Mędrek, Magdalena, Olczyk, Krystyna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Adalimumab - administration & dosage; Adult; Antirheumatic Agents - administration & dosage; Arthritis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - drug therapy; Biomarkers - blood; Certolizumab Pegol - administration & dosage; Cytokines; Diabetes; Drug Therapy, Combination; Etanercept - administration & dosage; Extracellular matrix; Female; Glycosaminoglycans; Glycosaminoglycans - blood; Health risk assessment; Humans; Hyaluronic acid; Inflammation; Keratan sulfate; Metabolism; Metabolites; Methotrexate - administration & dosage; Middle Aged; Monoclonal antibodies; Oxidative stress; Pathogenesis; Rheumatoid arthritis; Time Factors; TNF inhibitors; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - antagonists & inhibitors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Womens health
• ISSN: 1478-6362; 1478-6354; 1478-6362
• DOI: 10.1186/s13075-018-1711-z

In this study, the effect of 15-month anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) treatment on circulating levels of plasma sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and the nonsulfated GAG hyaluronic acid (HA) in female rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients was assessed. Plasma was obtained from healthy subjects and RA women treated with TNF-α antagonists (etanercept or adalimumab or certolizumab pegol) in combination with methotrexate. GAGs were isolated from plasma samples using ion exchange low-pressure liquid chromatography. Total sulfated GAGs were quantified using a hexuronic acid assay. Plasma levels of keratan sulfate (KS) and HA were measured using immunoassay kits. Total sulfated GAGs and HA levels were higher in female RA patients before treatment in comparison to healthy subjects. KS levels did not differ between RA women and controls. Anti-TNF-α treatment resulted in normalization of plasma total GAG and HA levels in RA patients, without any effect on KS levels. Our results suggest that anti-TNF-α therapy has a beneficial effect on extracellular matrix remodeling in the course of RA.