RESEARCH - Adipocytokines are associated with radiographic joint damage in RA

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Arthritis Rheum. 2009 Jun 29;60(7):1906-1914.

Adipocytokines are associated with radiographic joint damage in

rheumatoid arthritis.

Rho YH, Solus J, Sokka T, Oeser A, Chung CP, Gebretsadik T, Shintani

A, Pincus T, Stein CM.

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity protects against radiographic joint damage in

rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through poorly defined mechanisms.

Adipocytokines are produced in adipose tissue and modulate

inflammatory responses and radiographic joint damage in animal models.

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that

adipocytokines modulate inflammation and radiographic joint damage in

patients with RA.

METHODS: We compared serum concentrations of leptin, resistin,

adiponectin, and visfatin in 167 RA patients and 91 control subjects.

The independent association between adipocytokines and body mass index

(BMI), measures of inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP],

interleukin-6 [iL-6], and tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNFalpha]), and

radiographic joint damage (Larsen score; n = 93 patients) was examined

in RA patients by multivariable regression analysis first controlling

for age, race, and sex, and then for obesity (BMI) and inflammation

(TNFalpha, IL-6, and CRP).

RESULTS: Concentrations of all adipocytokines were significantly

higher in RA patients than in controls; for visfatin and adiponectin,

this association remained significant after adjusting for BMI,

inflammation, or both. Visfatin concentrations were associated with

higher Larsen scores, and this association remained significant after

adjustment for age, race, sex, disease duration, BMI, and inflammation

(odds ratio [OR] 2.38 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.32-4.29], P

= 0.004). Leptin concentrations showed a positive association with the

BMI (rho = 0.58, P < 0.01) and showed a negative association with the

Larsen score after adjustment for inflammation (OR 0.32 [95% CI

0.17-0.61], P < 0.001), but not after adjustment for BMI (OR 0.86 [95%

CI 0.42-1.73], P = 0.67).

CONCLUSION: Concentrations of adipocytokines are increased in patients

with RA and may modulate radiographic joint damage. Visfatin is

associated with increased, and leptin with reduced, levels of

radiographic joint damage.

PMID: 19565493

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19565493

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