The molecular basis of reactive amyloidosis

Shoshana Yakar, Avi Livneh, Batia Kaplan, Mordechai Pras

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Reactive amyloidosis is a disease occurring in patients suffering from chronicinfections, inflammation, and certain malignant conditions that are characterized by a considerable elevation of the acute phase reactant serum amyloid A (SAA). It is defined by the presence of extracellular deposits of fibrillar material containing amyloid A (AA) as its main component. AA is an 8.5-kd protein structurally identical to the NH2-terminal of the acute phase reactant SAA. SAA consists of a group of evolutionally conserved amphipathic proteins, encoded by a large number of genes and produced abundantly during inflammation, all suggesting an important role, probably of a neutralizing (anti-inflammatory) nature. An analysis of various aspects of SAA provides no clues to the mechanism of amyloid production, its occurrence in only selected individuals, and its preferential relationship to one isotype of SAA. Until more data is available, the present view on AA amyloidogenesis remains hypothetical.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)255-261
Number of pages7
JournalSeminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism
Volume24
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1995
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Reactive amyloidosis
  • amyloid protein A
  • serum amyloid A

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