Do patients with rheumatoid arthritis have an altered circulatory aggrecan profile?
This is the first study, which characterizes different aggrecan fragments in human serum. The data strongly suggests that total aggrecan levels, i.e. aggrecan molecules containing G1 and/or G2 are lower in RA patients, and that RA patients have at least one specific subpopulation of aggrecan fragments, namely aggrecanse generated 374ARGSVI fragments. Further clinical studies are needed to investigate the potential of G1/G2 as a structure-related biochemical marker in destructive joint-diseases.
It is up to the individual neurosurgeon to familiarize him- or herself with the emerging literature on the modern management of pediatric neurotrauma.