Giant cell and Takayasu arteritis.

OBJECTIVE

Giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis are well known large vessel vasculitides with an unknown etiology. As they have similar clinical features, this short article reviews recent advances in clinical and pathophysiological findings, focusing in particular on papers published in the past year.

RESULTS

Delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging showed delayed hyperenhancement in the aortic wall in Takayasu arteritis. This technique may be useful in monitoring disease activity or inflammation in the arterial wall and can be used for small vessels such as temporal arteries in giant cell arteritis with high-resolution imaging. Evidence is accumulating that antitumor necrosis factor-alpha monoclonal antibody therapy can be useful for patients refractory to corticosteroid and/or immunosuppressant treatment. Functional promoter polymorphisms of genes encoding inducible nitric oxide synthase and I-kappaB-like protein were suggested to be associated with susceptibility to giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Advances in imaging technique will make it possible to evaluate inflammatory activity of the vascular lesions and provide a useful guide for treatment of giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis. Further understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism may contribute to the development of new medicine targeting critical factors in the pathogenesis, such as antitumor necrosis factor-alpha agents.