Introduction. Vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) is a calcium-dependent protein essential for stabilization of the adherens junctions of the endothelial cells. Through vasculogenic mimicry, VE-cadherin may influence angiogenesis in synovial fibroblast-like cells. The soluble extracellular domain of VE-cadherin may be considered an indicator of endothelial dysfunction. Its potential as a diagnostic biomarker in rheumatic diseases, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), needs to be investigated. Materials and Methods. The study group included 80 patients diagnosed with JIA. In 53 individuals, blood samples were obtained twice with an average interval of days. Results from the study group were compared to 29 age- and sex-matched healthy children. Results. Serum levels of VE-cadherin were significantly higher in JIA patients than in healthy controls. In such comparison, VE-cadherin had 87.5% sensitivity and 69.0% specificity for the cutoff level 4.36 ng/ml (Youden index 0.56, area under the curve 0.724). VE-cadherin concentrations negatively correlated with the disease activity score. However, such finding may be a false result because of the downregulation of VE-cadherin induced by glucocorticosteroids. Conclusions. VE-cadherin may become a promising diagnostic biomarker of early stages of JIA. Its predictive significance may be decreased by utilization of glucocorticosteroids. A multicentre study including patients with other arthritides is recommended for further evaluation of this protein.

中文翻译：

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内皮通透性如何影响幼年特发性关节炎的发展？血管内皮钙粘蛋白作为一种有前途的新工具有助于诊断过程

简介。血管内皮钙粘蛋白 (VE-cadherin) 是一种钙依赖性蛋白，对于稳定内皮细胞的粘附连接至关重要。通过血管生成模拟，VE-钙粘蛋白可能影响滑膜成纤维细胞样细胞中的血管生成。VE-钙粘蛋白的可溶性细胞外结构域可被认为是内皮功能障碍的指标。需要研究其作为风湿性疾病诊断生物标志物的潜力，包括幼年特发性关节炎 (JIA)。材料和方法。研究组包括 80 名诊断为 JIA 的患者。在 53 个人中，两次采集血样，平均间隔为天。研究组的结果与 29 名年龄和性别匹配的健康儿童进行了比较。结果。JIA 患者的血清 VE-cadherin 水平显着高于健康对照组。在这样的比较中，VE-钙粘蛋白对截止水平 4.36 ng/ml（约登指数 0.56，曲线下面积 0.724）具有 87.5% 的敏感性和 69.0% 的特异性。VE-钙粘蛋白浓度与疾病活动评分呈负相关。然而，这种发现可能是错误的结果，因为糖皮质激素诱导的 VE-cadherin 下调。结论. VE-cadherin 可能成为 JIA 早期有前途的诊断生物标志物。使用糖皮质激素可能会降低其预测意义。建议进行一项包括其他关节炎患者在内的多中心研究，以进一步评估这种蛋白质。