Serum amyloid-A protein concentration in rheumatic disease

Abstract

The serum concentration of serum amyloid-A protein (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as the acute phase proteins have been measured in 56 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 18 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 18 with Behcet's disease (BD) . In RA patients, SAA and CRP concentration correlated well (r=0.87), though SAA showed a greater incremental increase than CRP. In SLE and BD patients, SAA was raised in 37% of patients with normal CRP. These findings suggest that SAA is a more sensitive marker of inflammation than is CRP.