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Osteopontin (OPN) is known to be significantly involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to evaluate if the serum concentration of OPN in patients with RA before and after therapeutic treatments was correlated to disease activity and response to therapy. Blood samples from 40 patients with RA were collected at baseline and six months after starting treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and/or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α blockers. Serum levels of OPN were measured by ELISA. At baseline, the serum OPN level in RA patients was significantly higher than that of the healthy group. The OPN level at baseline in RA patients with severe disease activity as evaluated by DAS28 was slightly higher than that of those with moderate disease activity. The serum OPN level in RA patients was not significantly correlated with the DAS28 level. The serum OPN level in both responders and non-responders after therapy was significantly decreased regardless of responsiveness to therapy. Also, the OPN level at baseline did not affect the responsiveness to therapeutic treatments. In conclusion, serum OPN level was not correlated with disease activity or responsiveness of RA patients to therapeutic treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific antagonists of tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) have rapidly gain popularity for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The dose of etanercept has not been determined in Asia, especially in Korea. This study was designed to investigate the maintaining effect of low-dose (25 mg/week) etanercept in Korean patients with AS and after discontinuation, the duration to be aggravated. Patients who had active AS [Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) ≥4] were treated with 50 mg of etanercept per week for 3 months. After that, for 6 months, the patients were treated with 25 mg of etanercept per week. We evaluated the serum erythrocyte sediment rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and BASDAI every 1 month for 3 months and every 2–3 months during the remaining 6 months. After all schedules of treatment were finished, we reevaluated ESR, CRP, and BASDAI every 4 months until recurrence. Twenty-seven AS patients received etanercept. Twenty-three patients completed treatment for 3 months with a dose of 50 mg/week. Among them, 18 completed for 6 months with a dose of 25 mg/week and discontinued. Mean age was 30.0 ± 5.4 years and mean disease duration was 7.5 ± 6.5 years. These 18 patients were evaluated for BASDAI, ESR, and CRP every 4 weeks. After discontinuation, mean duration to recur was 9.2 ± 6.1 weeks. Twenty-five milligrams of etanercept per week is effective enough to maintain remission in AS. After discontinuation, this effect was maintained by using a dose of 50 mg of etanercept per week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]