Esmerald Delgado-Frías1, Raquel López-Mejias2, Fernanda Genre2, Begoña Ubilla2, María A Gómez Rodríguez-Bethencourt3, Antonieta González-Díaz3, Antonia M de Vera-González4, Agustín F González-Rivero4, Federico Díaz-González5, Miguel A González-Gay6, Iván Ferraz-Amaro1. 1. Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain. 2. Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain. 3. Division of Nuclear Medicine, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain. 4. Central Laboratory Division, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain. 5. Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife; and Department of Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. 6. Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain; and University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate whether the abnormalities in bone mineral density (BMD) that occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated with the presence of endothelial dysfunction. METHODS: Cross-sectional study encompassing 216 subjects (111 patients with RA and 105 age- and sex-matched controls) without history of cardiovascular disease. Endothelial function was determined by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and BMD by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements. Plasma vitamin D and osteoprotegerin serum (OPG) levels were assessed in patients and controls. Multiple regression analysis was performed to study the relationship between BMD with endothelial function, taking into account vitamin D and OPG levels. RESULTS: After adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, vitamin D and OPG levels, BMD emerged as an independent factor associated with lower FMD values in controls, but not in patients with RA. Although OPG levels were inversely associated with FMD values in both RA patients and controls after adjusting for BMD, vitamin D showed this relationship only in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst OPG is associated with endothelial function in RA patients and controls, vitamin D levels and BMD are related to endothelial function in controls but not in patients with RA.
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate whether the abnormalities in bone mineral density (BMD) that occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated with the presence of endothelial dysfunction. METHODS: Cross-sectional study encompassing 216 subjects (111 patients with RA and 105 age- and sex-matched controls) without history of cardiovascular disease. Endothelial function was determined by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and BMD by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements. Plasma vitamin D and osteoprotegerin serum (OPG) levels were assessed in patients and controls. Multiple regression analysis was performed to study the relationship between BMD with endothelial function, taking into account vitamin D and OPG levels. RESULTS: After adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, vitamin D and OPG levels, BMD emerged as an independent factor associated with lower FMD values in controls, but not in patients with RA. Although OPG levels were inversely associated with FMD values in both RApatients and controls after adjusting for BMD, vitamin D showed this relationship only in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst OPG is associated with endothelial function in RApatients and controls, vitamin D levels and BMD are related to endothelial function in controls but not in patients with RA.
Authors: Anita Pusztai; Attila Hamar; Monika Czókolyová; Katalin Gulyás; Ágnes Horváth; Edit Végh; Zsófia Pethő; Szilvia Szamosi; Emese Balogh; Nóra Bodnár; Levente Bodoki; Ágnes Szentpétery; Harjit Pal Bhattoa; György Kerekes; Balázs Juhász; Éva Szekanecz; Katalin Hodosi; Andrea Domján; Sándor Szántó; Hennie G Raterman; Willem F Lems; Zoltán Szekanecz; Gabriella Szűcs Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2021-09-30 Impact factor: 4.379