Falcini F, Matucci Cerinic M, Lombardi A, Generini S, Pignone A, Tirassa P, Ermini M, Lepore L, Partsch G, Aloe L
Department of Paediatrics, University of Florence, Italy.
Ann Rheum Dis. 1996 Oct;55(10):745-8. doi: 10.1136/ard.55.10.745.
To determine the circulating serum concentrations of nerve growth factor (NGF) and compare them with indices of disease activity in juvenile chronic arthritis.
NGF concentrations were evaluated with a two site immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA), in 17 children with systemic, 39 with polyarticular, and 24 with pauciarticular onset juvenile chronic arthritis. Each subset was divided according to different variables, appropriate to each subset, reflecting active and inactive disease.
NGF concentrations were significantly higher in children with systemic [254 (SD 256.1) pg ml-1; P < 0.001], polyarticular [165.2 (300.8) pg ml-1; P < 0.05], and pauciarticular [106.8 (111.8) pg ml-1; P < 0.005] onset juvenile chronic arthritis than in controls. In all subsets, NGF concentrations were higher in the active than in the inactive phase of the disease. A significant direct correlation between NGF concentrations and erythrocyte sedimentation rate was found both in the systemic and in the polyarticular onset juvenile chronic arthritis.
The increase in NGF concentrations in all juvenile chronic arthritis subsets and the correlation with disease activity suggest that NGF may take an active part in joint inflammation.
测定循环血清中神经生长因子（NGF）的浓度，并将其与青少年慢性关节炎的疾病活动指标进行比较。
采用双位点免疫酶测定法（ELISA）评估17例全身型、39例多关节型和24例少关节型青少年慢性关节炎患儿的NGF浓度。每个亚组根据反映活动期和非活动期疾病的不同变量进行划分，这些变量因亚组而异。
全身型[254（标准差256.1）pg/ml-1；P<0.001]、多关节型[165.2（300.8）pg/ml-1；P<0.05]和少关节型[106.8（111.8）pg/ml-1；P<0.005]青少年慢性关节炎患儿的NGF浓度显著高于对照组。在所有亚组中，疾病活动期的NGF浓度高于非活动期。在全身型和多关节型青少年慢性关节炎中，均发现NGF浓度与红细胞沉降率之间存在显著的正相关。
所有青少年慢性关节炎亚组中NGF浓度的升高以及与疾病活动的相关性表明，NGF可能在关节炎症中发挥积极作用。
