Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40739573›Full record

Observational studyArthritis research & therapy2025

Prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of patients with low baseline C-reactive protein in giant cell arteritis.

Samuel Pichon, Vincent Koether, Amélie Leurs, Aurelien Chepy, Benoît Gachet, Vincent Sobanski, David Launay, Marc Lambert, Eric Hachulla

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Arthritis research & therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Samuel PichonService de Médecine Interne, Centre de référence des Maladies Auto- Immunes et Auto-inflammatoires Systémiques rares de l'Adulte du Nord, Méditerranée et Guadeloupe (CeRAINOM), Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Nord-Ouest, Lille, F-59000, France. samuel.pichon0@gmail.com.
Vincent KoetherService de Médecine Interne, Centre de référence des Maladies Auto- Immunes et Auto-inflammatoires Systémiques rares de l'Adulte du Nord, Méditerranée et Guadeloupe (CeRAINOM), Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Nord-Ouest, Lille, F-59000, France.
Amélie LeursService de Médecine Interne, Centre de référence des Maladies Auto- Immunes et Auto-inflammatoires Systémiques rares de l'Adulte du Nord, Méditerranée et Guadeloupe (CeRAINOM), Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Nord-Ouest, Lille, F-59000, France.
Aurelien ChepyService de Médecine Interne, Centre de référence des Maladies Auto- Immunes et Auto-inflammatoires Systémiques rares de l'Adulte du Nord, Méditerranée et Guadeloupe (CeRAINOM), Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Nord-Ouest, Lille, F-59000, France.
Benoît GachetService de Maladies Infectieuses, Univ. Lille, CH Gustave Dron, Tourcoing, F-59200, France.
Vincent SobanskiService de Médecine Interne, Centre de référence des Maladies Auto- Immunes et Auto-inflammatoires Systémiques rares de l'Adulte du Nord, Méditerranée et Guadeloupe (CeRAINOM), Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Nord-Ouest, Lille, F-59000, France.
David LaunayService de Médecine Interne, Centre de référence des Maladies Auto- Immunes et Auto-inflammatoires Systémiques rares de l'Adulte du Nord, Méditerranée et Guadeloupe (CeRAINOM), Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Nord-Ouest, Lille, F-59000, France.
Marc LambertService de Médecine Interne, Centre de référence des Maladies Auto- Immunes et Auto-inflammatoires Systémiques rares de l'Adulte du Nord, Méditerranée et Guadeloupe (CeRAINOM), Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Nord-Ouest, Lille, F-59000, France.
Eric HachullaService de Médecine Interne, Centre de référence des Maladies Auto- Immunes et Auto-inflammatoires Systémiques rares de l'Adulte du Nord, Méditerranée et Guadeloupe (CeRAINOM), Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Nord-Ouest, Lille, F-59000, France. Eric.HACHULLA@chu-lille.fr.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveElevated inflammatory markers play a crucial role in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). This study aimed to describe the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of patients with low baseline (< 10 mg/L) C-reactive protein (CRP) in GCA.

methodsA retrospective observational study was conducted at Lille University Hospital, involving all patients diagnosed with GCA between January 2000 and April 2023. Patients were categorized based on their CRP level at diagnosis. Baseline characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, imaging results, and outcomes were compared between patients with baseline CRP < 10 mg/L ("low CRP") and those with CRP ≥ 10 mg/L ("high CRP").

resultsOf the 380 patients, 7.6% (n = 29) had baseline CRP < 10 mg/L at diagnosis. When compared to the high CRP group, the low CRP group exhibited a lower incidence of fever, and had a higher incidence of ocular involvement, particularly anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (28% vs. 13%, p = 0.04), and limb claudication (24% vs. 8%, p < 0.01). Plasma fibrinogen levels were elevated (> 4 g/L) in 77% of patients with low CRP. Despite differences in clinical presentation, relapse rates were equilibrated between the two groups.

conclusionGCA patients with low CRP are not rare and present with more ocular and peripheral vascular involvement and less constitutional symptoms in our study. Elevated fibrinogen in these patients suggests active inflammation despite low CRP. Clinicians should consider GCA even with a CRP < 10 mg/L, as these patients may present with severe complications.

Indexed as

C-Reactive ProteinGiant Cell ArteritisAgedAged, 80 and overBiomarkersFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRetrospective StudiesBiomarkersC-Reactive ProteinAcute phase reactantC reactive proteinGiant cell arteritisVasculitis

Identifiers

PMID40739573
PMCPMC12312337

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.