Abstract
Background Adiponectin is an adipokine circulating in blood in three forms, whereof the high molecular weight (HMW) is supposed to mediate the metabolic effects of adiponectin. Subjects with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have elevated levels of adiponectin in serum and synovial fluid but it is unclear if circulating adiponectin associates with disease activity markers in subjects with RA. Here we aimed to determine whether total and/or HMW adiponectin levels associate with markers of disease activity and plasma chemokines in a cohort of subjects with untreated newly diagnosed RA.Methods Inflammation and disease activity were assessed in a cohort of 70 subjects with untreated newly diagnosed RA using erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), number of tender or swollen joints, as well as disease activity scores (DAS28 and CDAI) Plasma levels of 15 chemokines were measured using flow cytometry bead-based immunoassay or ELISA. Total and HMW adiponectin plasma levels were determined with ELISA.Results Both total and HMW adiponectin were positively associated with CRP (both P = 0.001) and ESR (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001 respectively). Furthermore, a positive association was found between total adiponectin and CXCL10 (P = 0.021), CCL2 (P = 0.012) and CXCL9 (P = 0.044), whereas HMW adiponectin associated with CXCL9 only (P = 0.033).Conclusion Total and HMW adiponectin are associated with markers of inflammation as well as pro-inflammatory chemokines in a cohort of 70 subjects with untreated newly diagnosed RA. Our results support the hypothesis that adiponectin might be a pro-inflammatory factor involved in the pathogenesis of RA.
Changes of synovial fluid properties after intraarticular injections of high molecular weight hyaluronate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
