Role of Seru1n Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Rheutnatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has recently been reported to have an important role in the pathogenesis of RA, because the development of destructive synovial pannus in RA is thought to be associated with neovascularization and changes in vascular permeability. Pathological angiogenesis IS now recognized as a fundumental component of pannus development in RA. Angiogenesis is regulated by many growth factors and cytokines. One of the most important factors in stimulation of angiogenesis is VEGF. So, we carried out this study to evaluate serum VEGF in Egyptian RA patients and to correlate their levels with different parameters of disease activity, functional capacity, and different disease activity scores. This study involved thirty patients with RA and twenty

control subjects included for comparative studies. Patients were classified into four subgroups according to the mean disease activity grades (MDAG). This study revealed that VEGF is elevated in the sera of

RA patients, and it was higher in the active group than the inactive group. It also showed positive correlation between the