Antibodies against human 60-kDa Heat-Shock Protein can not be associated with cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Vokko P. van Halm ¹, Marjan C. Slot ², Michael T. Nurmohamed ³, Jan W. Cohen Tervaert ⁴, Ben A. Dijkmans ¹ and Alexandre E. Voskuyl ^1*

¹ Department of Rheumatology, VU University Medical Center, Netherlands
² Department of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, University Hospital Maastricht, Netherlands
³ Jan van Breemen Institute, Netherlands
⁴ Department of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, University Hospital Maastricht, Netherlands

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ae.voskuyl{at}vumc.nl.

Accepted 2 October 2005

Abstract

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an unexplained increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Antibodies against human 60 kDa Heat-Shock Protein (anti-HSP60) are associated with the presence and severity of CVD. Therefore, we investigated whether anti-HSP60 antibodies are associated with prevalent CVD in patients with RA.

Methods: In a nested case control design anti-HSP60 antibody levels were measured in the serum samples of 192 RA patients. In a regression analysis we examined the association between prevalent CVD and anti-HSP60 antibodies and in addition the possible influence on this association of several demographic, RA and CVD related variables.

Results: In a random sample of 326 RA patients, we identified 48 cases who also suffered from CVD. Per case we found 3 controls having RA but without CVD (n=144), matched for sex, age, disease duration and smoking habits. A regression analysis showed no significant association between prevalent CVD and anti-HSP60 antibodies, odds ratio 1.00 (95%-CI: 0.997 - 1.004). After correcting for possible confounders, still no association was found.

Conclusions: In contrast to the general population, anti-HSP60 antibody titres are not associated with prevalent CVD in patients with RA. We postulate that these findings are the result of an altered immune response in RA to HSP60.

Keywords: Heat-Shock Protein 60 antibodies, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis

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