The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of insulin-like
growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in inflammatory and
degenerative joint diseases by estimating its level in the serum and
synovial fluid of patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and
Osteoarthritis (OA) and correlating these levels to the clinical
features of these disorders.
Twenty RA patients, twenty-eight OA patients and fourteen
healthy controls were included in this study All patients and controls
were subjected to the following; full history, clinical examination,
and laboratory investigation including Hb, ESR. estimation of the
level of IGFBP-3 in both serum and synovial fluid by
radioimmunoassay procedure. Plain x-ray for both knees & hands
were also included. Patients with RA were divided according to their
radiological findings into erosive and non erosive subgroups, and
according to the mean disease activity grades (MDAG) into two groups, one including patients with MDAG1 & 2 and another including patients with MDAG3 & 4. OA patients were divided according to radiological findings into two subgroups, one including patients with grade I & II and another including grade III & IV patients. And according to score of functional severity, we subgrouped OA patients into two subgroups; one including patients with score < 7 and another including patients with score > 8
The present study showed no significant difference between the serum level of the IGFBP-3 of both RA and OA patients when compared to the controls. A significant increase (P < 0.05) was found in the synovial IGFBP-3 of RA patients when compared to the controls. No significant difference was found between synovial IGFBP-3 of OA patients when compared to the contfols. No
Bull. Egypt. Soc. Physiol. Sci., 19(1) 1999
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