Abstract: AA amyloidosis,also known as secondary or reactive amyloidosis,is a serious complication of some chronic inflammatory conditions.Among its causes are inflammation or autoimmune diseases,chronic infection,tumor,etc.The insoluble amyloid fibrils of AA amyloidosis are derived from serum amyloid A (SAA) protein,an acute phase reaction protein synthetized largely by hepatocytes under the transcriptional regulation of proinflammatory cytokines.Persistent overproduction of SAA is a prerequisite for development of AA amyloidosis.The amyloid fibrils may deposit in the extracellular matrix,leading to structure and function damage of multiple tissues and organs.Although novel biological products such as antiserum amyloid P component (SAP) antibody have been verified to be effective in the treatment of AA amyloidosis,the major therapeutic strategies currently used to treat AA amyloidosis are controlling of underlying disease and supportive treatment.In this review,we summarize recent research progress of AA amyloidosis.

Key words: AA amyloidosis, inflammatory diseases, chronic infection, serum amyloid A protein