Key result
Rheumatoid arthritis is linked to elevated plasma HERV-K viral loads that correlate with disease activity.
Why the study?
Are HERV-K (HML-2) type 1 and type 2 viral loads elevated in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis compared to controls?
Observational (n=145)
Are HERV-K (HML-2) type 1 and type 2 viral loads elevated in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis compared to controls?
p-value: p=<0.0001
HERV-K (HML-2) viral loads are elevated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and associate with disease activity, suggesting a potential role in RA pathogenesis.
HERV-K loads in RA plasma and synovium may indicate retroviral activity; leaves open any pathogenic or therapeutic role.
To study the viral loads of human endogenous retrovirus HERV-K (HML-2) type 1 and type 2 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we measured the viral loads of HERV-K (HML-2) type 1 and type 2 using nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) technology. We analyzed plasma samples from RA patients (n = 79) and healthy volunteers (HV, n = 46) and synovial fluid samples from RA (n = 10) and osteoarthritis (OA, n = 10) patients. HERV-K type 1 and type 2 viruses were detected and quantified for the majority of plasma and synovial fluid samples from RA patients. HERV-K type 1 and type 2 viral loads were significantly elevated in RA patients compared with HV in plasma (P < 0.0001) and from RA patients compared with OA patients in synovial fluid (type 1: P = 0.0007; type 2: P = 0.023). Moreover, an association was observed between the HERV-K type 1 viral load in plasma and the disease activity in RA patients (RA patients with low activity versus high activity P = 0.0129; RA patients with intermediate activity versus high activity P = 0.037). Our findings showed that HERV-K (HML-2) viral load can be detected in plasma samples from RA patients, with higher levels observed for those with active disease. There was an association of HERV-K type 1 levels with the disease activity.
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Reynier et al. (2009) conducted an observational in Rheumatoid arthritis (n=145). Rheumatoid arthritis vs. Healthy volunteers and osteoarthritis patients was evaluated on HERV-K (HML-2) type 1 and type 2 viral loads (p=<0.0001). Rheumatoid arthritis was associated with significantly elevated HERV-K type 1 and type 2 viral loads in plasma compared to healthy volunteers (P<0.0001), with levels correlating with disease activity.
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