RESEARCH - Remicade therapy ups antioxidant effect of HDL cholesterol

[Guest guest]

Anti-TNF Therapy Ups Antioxidant Effect of HDL Cholesterol

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 27 - In a small study of rheumatoid

arthritis patients, treatment with the anti-tumor necrosis factor

(anti-TNF) agent infliximab appeared to increase the antioxidative

capacity of HDL cholesterol.

This finding may help explain prior reports suggesting a

cardioprotective effect for anti-TNF therapy in rheumatoid arthritis

patients, Dr. C. Popa, from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical

Centre, the Netherlands, and colleagues conclude.

As reported in the June issue of the ls of the Rheumatic Diseases,

the researchers measured plasma lipids and paraoxonase activity in 45

rheumatoid arthritis patients before, during, and after 6 months of

infliximab therapy. The team also examined the ability of HDL

cholesterol to block copper-induced oxidation of LDL cholesterol in

vitro.

Although plasma HDL cholesterol levels did not change during the study

period, paraoxonase activity increased significantly, the report

indicates (p < 0.03). Moreover, at 6 months, a significant improvement

in HDL total antioxidative capacity was noted (p = 0.015).

The increase in paraoxonase was concurrent to the decline in

inflammatory status, the authors note. The improvement in HDL

antioxidative capacity at 6 months, by contrast, appeared to be a

specific effect of TNF blockade.

" Our results underline the importance of evaluating HDL antioxidative

properties in addition to HDL concentrations, especially in those

populations in which the predictive value of traditional

cardiovascular risk factors is limited, " Dr. Popa's team concludes.

Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68:868-872.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/703363

Not an MD