DefinePK

Abstract

Secondary (AA) amyloidosis is a disorder characterized by the extracellular tissue deposition of fibrils composed of fragments of serum amyloid A protein (SAA), an acute phase reactant. AA amyloidosis can complicate a number of chronic inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile RA, and ankylosing spondylitis1,2. Tuberculosis, a very common chronic infection in developing countries, is not a very common cause of secondary amyloidosis3. AA amyloidosis is associated with increased hepatocyte production of the acute phase reactant serum amyloid A (SAA); in chronic inflammatory disorders, this process may be stimulated by the release of cytokines (perhaps interleukin-1) from activated macrophages1.