The relationship of serum leptin levels with disease activity in Egyptian patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background and objectives: To investigate the serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without active infection compared with healthy controls and to understand the relationship of PCT with RA disease activity, and treatment received by patients. Materials and Methods: Patients aged 20 years and above with clinician-confirmed diagnosis of RA and healthy volunteers were included during regular outpatient visits, and those with active infection symptoms and signs were excluded. RA disease activity was measured using the Disease Activity Score-28 for Rheumatoid Arthritis with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR). Medications received by the patients were also recorded. Results: A total of 623 patients with RA and 87 healthy subjects were recruited in this study. The mean PCT were significantly higher in patients with RA (6.90 ± 11.81 × 10−3 ng/mL) compared with healthy controls (1.70 ± 6.12 × 10−3 ng/mL) (p < 0.001) and the difference remained statistically significant after adjusting for age and sex. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis showed that a lower rank-transformed PCT serum level was significantly correlated with the use of biologics (p = 0.017) and a high DAS28-ESR score (p = 0.028) in patients with RA. Conclusion: Patients with RA have a significantly higher serum PCT levels compared with healthy controls. The use of biologics and an active RA disease activity were associated with a lower level of PCT in patients with RA. Further investigation is required to determine the optimal cutoff value of PCT among patients with RA and its association with disease activity and biologic usage.

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Nitric Oxide: Link between Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction in Rheumatoid Arthritis

International Journal of Angiology ◽

10.1055/s-0036-1597577 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 26 (03) ◽

pp. 165-169 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Nidhi Garg ◽

Ashit Syngle ◽

Pawan Krishan

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Nitric Oxide ◽

Endothelial Dysfunction ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Proinflammatory Cytokines ◽

Inflammatory Disease ◽

No Production ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

AbstractNitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in inflammatory joint disease and endothelial function. Endothelial dysfunction has been attributed to a reduction in NO bioactivity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the relationship of NO with inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in RA has not yet been investigated.To investigate the relationship of nitrite with inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in RA.Total 28 patients satisfying 2010 Rheumatoid Arthritis Classification Criteria were recruited for the study. Serum nitrite estimation was performed by Griess reaction. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) assessed using AngioDefender. Inflammatory disease activity measures included disease activity score of 28 joints (DAS28), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1) measured using standard ELISA kits. Twenty-five healthy controls matched for age and sex were included for comparison.The serum nitrite level in patients with RA was markedly elevated as compared with controls (p < 0.05). FMD was significantly impaired in RA patients than controls (p < 0.05). DAS28 was significantly higher in RA patients (p < 0.05). Levels of ESR, CRP, TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 were significantly higher in RA patients than controls (p < 0.05). Significant positive correlation was observed between nitrite and CRP (r = 0.46, p < 0.05), TNF-α (r = 0.53, p < 0.05), and inverse correlation with FMD (r =0.62, p < 0.05).Inflammatory disease activity and endothelial dysfunction in RA are associated with increased concentration of proinflammatory cytokines and NO. Inflammatory triggered release of cytokines induced NO production that mediates endothelial dysfunction. These findings suggest a role for NO in inflammation-induced endothelial dysfunction in RA.

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Vitamin D status in women with rheumatoid arthritis: frequency of hypovitaminosis, associations with disease activity, body composition and comorbidity

Terapevticheskii arkhiv ◽

10.26442/00403660.2021.05.200790 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 93 (5) ◽

pp. 581-586

Author(s):

Olga V. Dobrovolskaya ◽

Natalia V. Toroptsova ◽

Oksana A. Nikitinskaya ◽

Elena Y. Samarkina ◽

Mariia V. Cherkasova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Body Composition ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Vitamin D Levels ◽

The Status ◽

Comorbidity Index ◽

Vitamin D Supplements ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

Aim. To evaluate the status of vitamin D in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and establish its associations with comorbidity, disease activity, and body composition components. Materials and methods. 86 women with RA (average age 58.18.5 years) were enrolled in the study. We analyzed the relationship of vitamin D levels with clinical and laboratory parameters and with the results of two-energy x-ray absorptiometry. MannWhitney or KruskalWallis, 2 and Spearman tests were performed using Statistica for Windows 10.0 (StatSoft Inc., USA). Results. Vitamin D level was 22.4 [17.8; 27.3] ng/ml: deficiency was detected in 33%, and insufficiency in 46% of women with RA. Only 41% of patients with low vitamin D levels received supplements of cholecalciferol, while only 9% in a sufficient dose. 25(OH)D level was significantly lower in RA patients with sarcopenia, obesity, high activity according to DAS28 and in those who did not receive vitamin D supplements. There werent differences in 25(OH)D levels among subgroups of patient according to age, fertility, BMD status, comorbidity index, RA duration, ESR and CRP levels, medical therapy performed. Conclusion. 79% of patients with RA had low levels of vitamin D, while less than half of them received additional cholecalciferol supplements. Low vitamin D levels in RA patients were associated with high disease activity, sarcopenia, and obesity.

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