Effects of a 15-month anti-TNF-α treatment on plasma levels of glycosaminoglycans in women with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND: In this study, the effect of 15-month anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) treatment on circulating levels of plasma sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and the nonsulfated GAG hyaluronic acid (HA) in female rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients was assessed. METHODS: Plasma was obtained from healthy subjects and RA women treated with TNF-α antagonists (etanercept or adalimumab or certolizumab pegol) in combination with methotrexate. GAGs were isolated from plasma samples using ion exchange low-pressure liquid chromatography. Total sulfated GAGs were quantified using a hexuronic acid assay. Plasma levels of keratan sulfate (KS) and HA were measured using immunoassay kits. RESULTS: Total sulfated GAGs and HA levels were higher in female RA patients before treatment in comparison to healthy subjects. KS levels did not differ between RA women and controls. Anti-TNF-α treatment resulted in normalization of plasma total GAG and HA levels in RA patients, without any effect on KS levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that anti-TNF-α therapy has a beneficial effect on extracellular matrix remodeling in the course of RA.