Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade, skin biopsy tissue samples, FFPE tissue blocks with matched cryogenically preserved sera (serum), plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) bio-fluid samples from patients diagnosed with polyarteritis nodosa.
The sera (serum), plasma and PBMC biofluid specimens are processed from polyarteritis nodosa patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.
The polyarteritis nodosa sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluids are processed from patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.
Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) Overview
Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare disease that makes the blood vessels swell. It can affect the blood vessels that go to almost every part of the body, including the heart, kidneys, and intestines. It could keep the organs from getting enough blood.
In this condition can also cause the arteries to become swollen. Polyarteritis nodosa primarily affects small and medium arteries, which can become Inflamed or damaged. This is a serious disease of the blood vessels caused by an immune system malfunction.
Ongoing treatment is crucial, and there’s a risk of serious complications for patients who have it and don’t seek medical care. Polyarteritis nodosa is treatable, especially if it’s caught early. Medication can protect the blood vessels from damage and help with your symptoms.
Vasculitis
Vasculitis is a general term that refers to inflammation of the blood vessels. When inflamed, the blood vessel may become weakened and stretch in size, which can lead to aneurysms, or become so thin that they rupture resulting in bleeding into the tissue. Vasculitis can also cause blood vessel narrowing to the point of closing off entirely so that organs become damaged from loss of oxygen and nutrients that were being supplied by the blood.
Polyarteritis nodosa exclusively affects medium sized blood vessels.
Signs and Symptoms of Polyarteritis Nodosa
Polyarteritis nodosa can affect many organ systems. Some of the most common ones are the skin, peripheral nerves, these are nerves other than the brain and the spinal cord, intestinal tract, kidneys, heart and the joints.
Wide range of symptoms of polyarteritis nodosa are very noticeable, which may include the following:
- Abdominal Pain
- Extreme fatigue
- Fever
- General feeling of being ill
- Joint aches
- Loss of appetite
- Muscles aches
- Sweating
- Unexplained Weight Loss
Depending on which organs are affected by the polyarteritis nodosa disease, the patient may also have the following symptoms:
Heart
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
Joints and muscles
- Joint pain
- Muscle aches
Kidneys
- High blood pressure (Hypertension)
- Protein in the urine (Proteinuria)
Digestive Tract
Nerves
Skin (mostly affecting the legs)
- Bumps
- Changes in skin color
- Purple spots, called purpura
- Rash
- Sores
Eyes
- Swelling in the white part of the eye
Genitals (in male patients)
- Painful or tender testicles
Causes of Polyarteritis Nodosa
Polyarteritis nodosa is an autoimmune disease. The immune system mistakes your blood vessels for a virus or other foreign invader and attacks them. This makes them inflamed, a condition called vasculitis.
When a blood vessel is inflamed, it swells and stretches. Its walls get thinner and thinner, like a balloon, this is known as an aneurysm. Eventually, the blood vessel walls can stretch so much that they burst.
Swelling can also narrow blood vessels. Blood doesn’t have enough room to move through them. When that happens, less blood gets to your organs.
The arteries carry blood to the tissues and organs. Polyarteritis nodosa is characterized by damaged arteries that impede the flow of blood to the rest of your body.
When the organs don’t receive enough oxygen-rich blood, they stop working the way they normally should. This type of arterial damage occurs when the immune system attacks your arteries. There’s no one identifiable cause for this immune reaction, so the exact cause of polyarteritis nodosa also remains unknown.
Most of the time, doctors don’t know what causes this immune attack. In a small number of people, it may be triggered by hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Other infections, like strep or staph, might also cause Polyarteritis nodosa.
Risk Factors of Polyarteritis Nodosa
The exact causes of polyarteritis nodosa is unknown, there are many factors that can increase the risk of developing the disease.
Polyarteritis nodosa is more common in people who are:
It’s important to understand these risk factors and talk to your doctor about receiving regular tests. This is especially true if you experience symptoms of polyarteritis nodosa or if the condition runs in your family.
Diagnosis of Polyarteritis Nodosa
Polyarteritis nodosa is a complicated disease. Patients might need several tests to get a proper diagnosis. Part of the process involves ruling out other types of diseases that might cause similar symptoms or affect two or more systems in your body.
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and give you a physical exam. They may also order diagnostic tests, including the following:
- Blood or urine tests to see how well your kidneys and other organs work and to find out if you’ve been infected with hepatitis B or C.
- Imaging tests to look for damage to the blood vessels or organs.
- X-ray: This uses radiation in low doses to make images of things inside the body.
- CT scan: Powerful X-rays from different angles are put together to make detailed pictures of the inside of the body.
- MRI: This uses powerful magnets and radio waves to make pictures.
- An arteriogram (also called an angiogram), usually for blood vessels to your intestines or kidneys. Your doctor injects a dye into your bloodstream. An X-ray of your blood vessels looks for problem areas.
- A biopsy to show if there’s swelling in your blood vessels. Your doctor will take a small piece of tissue from the wall of a blood vessel and check it under a microscope for signs of Polyarteritis nodosa.
Treatment of Polyarteritis Nodosa
The most common treatment for polyarteritis nodosa patients is a combination of prescription drugs, including the following:
- Antiviral drugs
- Corticosteroids
- Immune suppressants
High doses of corticosteroids, or steroids, control the symptoms of polyarteritis nodosa by reducing inflammation and replacing certain hormones in the body. Corticosteroids can cause a number of side effects, especially when they’re taken orally.
Corticosteroids can help keep the immune system from attacking the arteries, but other types of immunosuppressive medications may be necessary. This is especially true if the polyarteritis nodosa patient’s symptoms are severe.
Patients with hepatitis infections primarily receive antiviral medications.
Getting treatment as soon as possible can protect your blood vessels and put polyarteritis nodosa into remission, which is when you don’t have any signs of the disease.
You’ll take medicine to stop your immune system from attacking your blood vessels and to bring down swelling.
These medications might include the following:
- Antiviral medications if you have hepatitis B or C
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone or prednisolone
- Immunosuppressive Drugs: If the patients polyarteritis nodosa is very serious, they may also be given drugs such as azathioprine (Imuran), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) or methotrexate (Rexall) to help calm their immune system. Once your symptoms get better, your doctor will lower your dose of medicines. Eventually, you should be able to stop taking them.
If the patients have high blood pressure (hypertension), they’ll take medications for that, as well.
Complications of Polyarteritis Nodosa
Polyarteritis nodosa can cause different types of complications, depending on the part of the body or system affected by the condition.
Disease affecting the blood vessels are very serious. Damaged arteries can ultimately affect the brain, heart, and other vital organs.
The most common complications of polyarteritis nodosa include the following:
- Brain and spinal cord (central nervous system): PAN patients may have problems with attention, memory, and processing information, along with seizures, problems with alertness, and other issues. These problems can happen 2 to 3 years after first getting the disease. Damage to the brain could also lead to a stroke.
- Digestive Tract: Sometimes, you may have damaged or dead tissue in your bowel (infarction) or a hole in your bowel (perforation).
- Polyarteritis nodosa may cause heart attack or congestive heart failure in patients
- Kidney failure, PAN patients may need dialysis after some time
- Stroke
- Severe intestinal damage
Prognosis of Polyarteritis Nodosa
The outlook for polyarteritis nodosa depends on the course of treatment. Patients who don’t get medical care for polyarteritis nodosa can die from related complications. On the flip side, taking prescribed medications on a regular basis can reduce polyarteritis nodosa symptoms and improve your outlook.
There’s no known way to prevent polyarteritis nodosa, so the best chance for recovery is to stick to the treatment plan. According to the Cleveland Clinic, on average, over 80 percent of patients who experience polyarteritis nodosa for five or more years survive.
The best opportunity to minimize damage comes when treatment has been promptly initiated and is carefully monitored by a physician who is knowledgeable about treating polyarteritis nodosa patients. Even patients who have the most severe polyarteritis nodosa can achieve remission when treated promptly and followed closely.
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