Type I collagen degradation does not diminish with RA disease duration

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—To assess the relation between type I collagen degradation and the duration of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
METHODS—The serum concentrations of cross linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) measured earlier in a community based series (90 patients) and a hospital based series (59 patients) were re-evaluated with reference to the duration of RA.
RESULTS—The serum ICTP showed a positive correlation with the duration of the disease in the hospital based series (r_s=0.40, p<0.01) but not in the community based one (r_s=0.18, p=0.10).
CONCLUSIONS—Type I collagen degradation predominantly reflecting pathological bone destruction does not seem to diminish in longlasting RA.



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Figure 1  .

Relation between serum carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and disease duration in two series of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: (A) a community based one (r_s=0.18, p=0.10) and (B) a hospital based one (r_s=0.40, p<0.01).