Age and Disease activity related Biomarkers in Takayasuarteritis: Comparison with Giant Cell Arteritis

Andrea DG; Lisa C; Jennifer LC; Harald B; Peter MV*

Andrea DG, Lisa C, Jennifer LC, Harald B and Peter MV*

Volume6-Issue6
Dates: Received: 2025-05-12 | Accepted: 2025-06-19 | Published: 2025-06-23
Pages: 775-783

Abstract

Background and objective: Measuring Takayasu (TAK) disease activity remains a difficult task. The aims of this study were to identify biomarkers reflecting disease activity in TAK, to analyze the effects of treatment, to compare the findings of TAK with Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) and to assess age-related differences.

Methods: Biomarkers in sera of 26 TAK patients (median age: 33 years) were analyzed and compared with sera of 18 GCA patients (median age: 72 years), meeting the respective 1990 ACR criteria, as well as with sera of age-matched Healthy Controls (HC). In a screening phase, sera levels of 48 biomarkers were quantified using Luminex technology. Biomarkers showing differences between groups and subgroups were confirmed by ELISA. Disease activity was scored using the EULAR criteria of 2018. Additionally, arterial wall signals in MRI were graded from 0 (normal) to 3 (intense late enhancement).

Results: 7/26 TAK patients showed active disease. MRI signals of 11/26 TAK patients indicated vessel wall inflammation. Serum levels of YKL-40 were elevated in TAK patients compared to HC. YKL-40 as well as sIL-2R and CD163 were lower in TAK patients compared to GCA patients; YKL-40 levels were elevated in GCA compared to HC. None of the molecules were significantly associated with clinical disease activity, neither with Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) signal intensity. Analysis of HC showed a significant age correlation of YKL-40, CD163 and MMP-3, and an inverse correlation for Pentraxin-3.

Conclusions: YKL-40 reliably distinguished between TAK and healthy controls. Biomarkers in active GCA were higher compared to TAK. Interpretation of serological markers must consider age-related differences.

FullText HTML FullText PDF DOI: 10.37871/jbres2130

Certificate of Publication

Copyright

How to cite this article

Andrea DG, Lisa C, Jennifer LC, Harald B, Peter MV. Age and Disease activity related Biomarkers in Takayasuarteritis: Comparison with Giant Cell Arteritis. J Biomed Res Environ Sci. 2025 Jun 23; 6(6): 775-783. doi: 10.37871/ jbres2130, Article ID: JBRES2130, Available at: https://www.jelsciences.com/articles/jbres2130.pdf

Subject area(s)

Rheumatology

Immunology

References

Jennette JC, Falk RJ, Bacon PA, Basu N, Cid MC, Ferrario F, et al. 2012 revised International Chapel Hill Consensus Conference Nomenclature of Vasculitides. Arthritis Rheum. 2013;65(1):1-11. doi: 10.1002/art.37715. PubMed PMID: 23045170.
Borchers AT, Gershwin ME. Giant cell arteritis: a review of classification, pathophysiology, geoepidemiology and treatment. Autoimmun Rev. 2012;11(6-7):A544-54. Epub 2012/01/21. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2012.01.003. PubMed PMID: 22285588.
Kerr GS, Hallahan CW, Giordano J, Leavitt RY, Fauci AS, Rottem M, et al. Takayasu arteritis. Ann Intern Med. 1994;120(11):919-29. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-120-11-199406010-00004. PubMed PMID: 7909656.
Salvarani C, Soriano A, Muratore F, Shoenfeld Y, Blockmans D. Is PET/CT essential in the diagnosis and follow-up of temporal arteritis? Autoimmun Rev. 2017;16(11):1125-30. Epub 2017/09/09. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2017.09.007. PubMed PMID: 28899801.
Reichenbach S, Adler S, Bonel H, Cullmann JL, Kuchen S, Bütikofer L, et al. Magnetic resonance angiography in giant cell arteritis: results of a randomized controlled trial of tocilizumab in giant cell arteritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57(6):982-6. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/key015. PubMed PMID: 29529280.
Arnaud L, Haroche J, Malek Z, Archambaud F, Gambotti L, Grimon G, et al. Is (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scanning a reliable way to assess disease activity in Takayasu arteritis? Arthritis Rheum. 2009;60(4):1193-200. doi: 10.1002/art.24416. PubMed PMID: 19333926.
Stone JH, Tuckwell K, Dimonaco S, Klearman M, Aringer M, Blockmans D, et al. Glucocorticoid Dosages and Acute-Phase Reactant Levels at Giant Cell Arteritis Flare in a Randomized Trial of Tocilizumab. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2019;71(8):1329-38. Epub 2019/07/03. doi: 10.1002/art.40876. PubMed PMID: 30835950; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6772126.
Isaacs JD, Harari O, Kobold U, Lee JS, Bernasconi C. Effect of tocilizumab on haematological markers implicates interleukin-6 signalling in the anaemia of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2013;15(6):R204. doi: 10.1186/ar4397. PubMed PMID: 24295403; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3978585.
Hellmich B, Agueda A, Monti S, Buttgereit F, de Boysson H, Brouwer E, et al. 2018 Update of the EULAR recommendations for the management of large vessel vasculitis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2019. Epub 2019/07/03. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-215672. PubMed PMID: 31270110.
Gloor AD, Chollet L, Christ LA, Cullmann JL, Bonel HM, Villiger PM. Takayasu arteritis: Prevalence and clinical presentation in Switzerland. PLoS One. 2021;16(6):e0250025. Epub 20210618. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250025. PubMed PMID: 34143786; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8213155.
Arend WP, Michel BA, Bloch DA, Hunder GG, Calabrese LH, Edworthy SM, et al. The American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for the classification of Takayasu arteritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1990;33(8):1129-34. PubMed PMID: 1975175.
Christ L, Seitz L, Scholz G, Sarbu AC, Amsler J, Bütikofer L, et al. Tocilizumab monotherapy after ultra-short glucocorticoid administration in giant cell arteritis: a single-arm, open-label, proof-of-concept study. Lancet Rheumatol. 2021;3(9):e619-e26. Epub 20210702. doi: 10.1016/s2665-9913(21)00152-1. PubMed PMID: 38287611.
Keser G, Aksu K, Direskeneli H. Discrepancies between vascular and systemic inflammation in large vessel vasculitis: an important problem revisited. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57(5):784-90. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kex333. PubMed PMID: 28968895.
Christ L, Gloor AD, Kollert F, Gaber T, Buttgereit F, Reichenbach S, et al. Serum proteomics in giant cell arteritis in response to a three-day pulse of glucocorticoid followed by tocilizumab monotherapy (the GUSTO trial). Front Immunol. 2023;14:1165758. Epub 20230523. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1165758. PubMed PMID: 37287970; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10242646.
Sun Y, Kong X, Wu S, Ma L, Yan Y, Lv P, et al. YKL-40 as a new biomarker of disease activity in Takayasu arteritis. Int J Cardiol. 2019;293:231-7. Epub 2019/07/04. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2019.06.058. PubMed PMID: 31303395.
Cui X, Qin F, Song L, Wang T, Geng B, Zhang W, et al. Novel Biomarkers for the Precisive Diagnosis and Activity Classification of Takayasu Arteritis. Circ Genom Precis Med. 2019;12(1):e002080. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGEN.117.002080. PubMed PMID: 30645172.
Wu G, Mahajan N, Dhawan V. Acknowledged signatures of matrix metalloproteinases in Takayasu's arteritis. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:827105. Epub 2014/09/03. doi: 10.1155/2014/827105. PubMed PMID: 25276821; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4167960.
Sun Y, Ma L, Yan F, Liu H, Ding Y, Hou J, et al. MMP-9 and IL-6 are potential biomarkers for disease activity in Takayasu's arteritis. Int J Cardiol. 2012;156(2):236-8. Epub 20120212. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2012.01.035. PubMed PMID: 22330005.
Gloor AD, Yerly D, Adler S, Reichenbach S, Kuchen S, Seitz M, et al. Immuno-monitoring reveals an extended subclinical disease activity in tocilizumab-treated giant cell arteritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57(10):1795-801. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/key158. PubMed PMID: 29961816.
Adler S, Reichenbach S, Gloor A, Yerly D, Cullmann JL, Villiger PM. Risk of relapse after discontinuation of tocilizumab therapy in giant cell arteritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2019. Epub 2019/03/26. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kez091. PubMed PMID: 30915462.
Gloor AD, Berry GJ, Goronzy JJ, Weyand CM. Age as a risk factor in vasculitis. Semin Immunopathol. 2022. Epub 20220209. doi: 10.1007/s00281-022-00911-1. PubMed PMID: 35141865.
Jiemy WF, van Sleen Y, Graver JC, Pringle S, Brouwer E, van der Geest KSM, et al. Indication of Activated Senescence Pathways in the Temporal Arteries of Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023;75(10):1812-8. Epub 20230628. doi: 10.1002/art.42525. PubMed PMID: 37057491.