Clin Exp Rheumatol
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We investigated whether serum soluble programmed cell death protein 1 (sPD-1) could predict the current activity and severity of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) based on Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) in patients with AAV. ⋯ Serum sPD-1 could predict the current activity and severity of AAV.
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To investigate the in-situ expression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the inflamed vessel wall of patients with biopsy-positive giant cell arteritis (GCA) as compared to biopsy-negative non-GCA patients, and to evaluate the in-vivo expression of AChE in patients with large-vessel GCA (LVGCA) by 11C-donepezil (AChE inhibitor) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). ⋯ AChE is highly expressed in the inflamed vessel wall of patients with GCA. Although, 11C-donepezil PET/CT showed no vascular uptake in the FDG PET/CT verified LV-GCA patients, histological findings raise the possibility that AChE can be used in the development of new diagnostic and disease monitoring tools for GCA.