Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41758355›Full record

ArticleRheumatology international2026

Increased blood levels of neutrophil- and platelet-derived markers in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: a pilot study.

Neele K Levin, Jonas Mårtensson, Lena Björkman, Per Venge, Eva Klingberg, Anna Deminger, Emma C Josefsson, Huamei Forsman, Martina Sundqvist, Helena Forsblad-d'Elia

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Rheumatology international, 2026. 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

10 authors.

Neele K LevinDepartment of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-8786-894X
Jonas MårtenssonDepartment of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1988-9247
Lena BjörkmanDepartment of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5652-3263
Per VengeDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5863-790X
Eva KlingbergDepartment of Rheumatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6858-6413
Anna DemingerDepartment of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6423-1623
Emma C JosefssonDepartment of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6478-5204
Huamei ForsmanDepartment of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8781-284X
Martina Sundqvist *Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. martina.sundqvist@rheuma.gu.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0859-0792
Helena Forsblad-d'Elia *Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7871-5303

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A challenge in diagnosing and monitoring radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) is the absence of reliable biomarkers. This cross-sectional pilot study aimed to evaluate platelet- and neutrophil-derived substances as potential biomarkers in r-axSpA, given the involvement of these cells in disease pathology. Serum and plasma were collected from 13 male, HLA-B27-positive r-axSpA patients without disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and 13 age- and sex-matched blood donor controls. Concentrations of platelet-derived soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) and neutrophil-derived human neutrophil lipocalin (HNL), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and galectin-3 were measured using ELISA. Associations between these markers and clinical parameters, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were assessed by Spearman’s rank correlation. Group differences were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Median concentrations of serum sCD40L (4.2 vs. 2.7 ng/mL; p = 0.001), plasma HNL (23.7 vs. 18.6 mg/L; p = 0.040), serum HNL (74.7 vs. 52.3 mg/L; p = 0.013), and plasma MPO (56.6 vs. 37.3 mg/L; p = 0.027) were significantly higher in r-axSpA patients compared with controls. Plasma HNL correlated positively with CRP and ESR, but not with other clinical parameters. In both patients and controls, serum concentrations of sCD40L, sP-selectin, HNL, and MPO were significantly higher than their plasma counterparts, highlighting differences related to sample processing. Serum sCD40L, serum and plasma HNL, and plasma MPO were elevated in r-axSpA patients compared with controls. These findings warrant validation in larger cohorts to clarify the role of sCD40L, HNL and MPO across a heterogeneous group of patients with early and established r-axSpA.

Indexed as

Axial SpondyloarthritisBlood PlateletsNeutrophilsAdultBiomarkersCase-Control StudiesCD40 LigandCross-Sectional StudiesHumansLipocalin-2MaleMiddle AgedPeroxidasePilot ProjectsP-SelectinBiomarkersCD40 LigandLCN2 protein, humanLipocalin-2MPO protein, humanPeroxidaseP-SelectinAnkylosing spondylitisBlood plateletsCD40 ligandMyeloperoxidaseNeutrophilsP-selectin

Identifiers

PMID41758355
PMCPMC12948798

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Registered trials

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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.