RESEARCH - Lipids and inflammation - serial measurements of the lipid profile of blood donors who later developed RA

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Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 Jun 7; [Epub ahead of print]

Lipids and inflammation - Serial measurements of the lipid profile of blood

donors who later developed rheumatoid arthritis.

van Halm VP, Nielen MM, Nurmohamed MT, van Schaardenburg D, Reesink HW,

Voskuyl AE, Twisk JW, van de Stadt RJ, de Koning MH, Habibuw MR, van der

Horst-Bruinsma IE, Dijkmans BA.

VU University Medical Center, Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by inflammation and an

increased cardiovascular risk. It was recently shown that active early RA is

associated with dyslipidemia which could be a partial explanation for the

enhanced cardiovascular risk. However, it is unknown when this dyslipidemia

starts. Our objective was to investigate the progression over time of the

lipid profile and the influence of inflammatory parameters on this lipid

profile, in individuals who later developed RA. METHODS: Total cholesterol

(TC), HDL cholesterol (HDLc), triglycerides, apolipoprotein A-1 (apo A-1),

apolipoprotein B (apo and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) levels were determined

in 1078 stored, deep-frozen, serial blood bank samples, collected between

1984 and 1999, of 79 blood donors who later developed RA. These samples were

compared with 1071 control samples of unselected blood donors, matched for

age, sex and storage time. RESULTS: The samples of future RA patients

displayed, on average, 4% higher TC, 9% lower HDLc, 17% higher triglyceride

and 6% higher apo B levels compared to matched controls (P inverted

exclamation markU 0.05).The magnitude of the differences in lipid levels

between groups, explained by CRP was limited. For example, only 3.6% of the

difference in HDLc levels between the groups was explained by the CRP

concentrations.

CONCLUSION: Future RA patients have a significantly more atherogenic lipid

profile in comparison to matched blood donors, at least ten years before

onset of symptoms. As inflammation only marginally explains the differences

between the two groups a modulating effect of lipids on inflammatory

processes is hypothesized.

PMID: 16760255

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

6760255

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