Session Information
Session Title: Rheumatoid Arthritis - Clinical Aspects: Novel Biomarkers and Other Measurements of Disease Activity
Session Type: Abstract Submissions (ACR)
Background/Purpose: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with several neuroendocrine hormones and metabolic peptides. The crosstalk between the hormones and the immune system is important for homeostasis during inflammation. Therefore, we hypothesize that disturbances in hormones may gradually result in an inflammatory disease and hormones may be even disturbed years before onset of arthritis. The aim of this study is to determine the hormone levels in RA patients and individuals at risk for developing RA and compare those with the levels in healthy controls.
Methods: In total 18 neuroendocrine hormones and metabolic peptides (triglycerides (TG), free fatty acids (FFAs)) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) were measured in fasting serum samples from 22 RA patients, 45 individuals at risk for developing RA by the presence of RA-specific autoantibodies and 16 healthy controls.
Results: The median (IQR) PP level was significantly higher in RA patients (34 (23-58) pmol/L) and individuals at risk (31 (24-45) pmol/L) compared to healthy controls (10 (6-27) pmol/L), respectively P=0.004 and P=0.002. The TG level was significantly higher in RA patients (1.03 (0.75-1.29) mmol/L) and a trend towards elevated TGs in individuals at risk (0.94 (0.72-1.15) mmol/L) compared to healthy controls (0.70 (0.59-1.02) mmol/L), respectively P=0.036 and P=0.09. The FFA level was significantly higher in RA patients (0.59 (0.47-0.65) mmol/L) compared to healthy controls (0.40 (0.35-0.50 mmol/L; P=0.011) and a trend towards elevated FFAs in individuals at risk (0.53 (0.40-0.59) mmol/L; P=0.06)compared to healthy controls. In RA patients, the FFA level was positively correlated with disease activity parameters, but not confounded by body mass index or other variables. All other hormones and peptides were comparable between the three study groups.
Conclusion: FFA, TG and PP levels were higher in RA patients than in healthy controls. PP levels were higher in at risk individuals than in healthy controls and FFA and TG levels showed a similar trend. Moreover, the FFA level was positively correlated with disease activity parameters. This may support a role for FFAs, TGs and PPs in the pathogenesis of RA and these peptides may contribute, even in the at risk phase of RA, to the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, PPs and FFAs can be potential biomarkers to identify individuals in the at risk phase of RA, who may develop RA later on.
Disclosure:
M. W. Tang,
None;
F. A. Koopman,
None;
J. P. M. Visscher,
None;
M. J. H. de Hair,
None;
D. M. Gerlag,
GlaxoSmithKline,
3;
P. P. Tak,
GlaxoSmithKline,
3.
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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/neuroendocrine-hormone-and-metabolic-peptide-levels-in-the-earliest-phases-of-rheumatoid-arthritis-do-free-fatty-acids-play-a-role/