Background/Purpose: Chronic inflammatory conditions including rheumatic diseases may alter body composition, especially lean and fat mass. In this process, adipokines and inflammatory cytokines appear to play a key role. The aim of this study is to evaluate the body composition (BC) of TA patients compared to healthy controls (HC), and correlate BC parameters of TA patients with serum adipokines (adiponectin and resistin) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-1a, IL-6 and TNF-α).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 45 consecutive women with TA and 47 HC matched by age and body mass index (BMI). BC was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The fat mass parameters evaluated were: total fat mass (FM), adiposity (percentage of body fat), android and gynoid fat, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and fat distribution ratio (FDR: FM of the trunk/(FM of arms + FM of legs). Overfat was defined to denote excess body fatness, according to the stratification by age, BMI and ethnicity. Regarding lean mass parameters, total lean mass (LM) and appendicular lean mass index (ALMI: appendicular lean mass/ht²) were analyzed. Abnormal body composition was defined in the presence of overfat (excess body fatness from DXA), low lean mass (ALMI ≤ 5.45 kg/m²) or combination of these two variables. Serum adipokines (adiponectin, resistin) and plasmatic cytokines (IL-1a, IL-6 e TNF-α) were determined by Luminex xMAP Technology.

Results: Abnormal body composition (35.56% vs. 6.38%; p<0.001) was more prevalent in TA patients. Adiposity (%) and android fat mass were higher in TA patients compared to HC (33.05 ± 5.39 vs. 30.43 ± 5.63 %; p=0.025 and 1.58 ± 0.73 vs. 1.27 ± 0.62 Kg; p=0.05). Decreased lean mass (ALMI) was more prevalent in TA patients than HC (24.44% vs. 4.25%; p=0.013). LM had negative correlation with IL-6 levels (r=-0.44; p=0.005). ALMI presented negative correlation with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r=-0.36, p=0.017), resistin (r=-0.34, p=0.035), IL-1a (r=-0.44, p=0.006) and IL-6 (r=-0.43, p=0.007) levels. Fat distribution ratio (FDR) and VAT had negative correlation with adiponectin levels (r=-0.44; p=0.004; r=-0.42; p=0.010). (table 1). Cumulative prednisone dose was not shown any correlations with fat mass or lean mass parameters.

TABLE 1 – Correlations of body composition variables by DXA and inflammatory parameters  in TA patients

Conclusion: Abnormal BC was significantly more prevalent among TA patients compared to healthy women. Appendicular lean mass was negatively correlated with inflammation parameters and visceral adipose tissue with adiponectin serum levels, suggesting a role of inflammation on the parameters of body composition in women with TA.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/abnormal-body-composition-in-takayasu-arteritis-patients-role-of-inflammatory-cytokines-and-adipokines/