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Independent relationship between circulating resistin concentrations and endothelial activation in rheumatoid arthritis
  1. Patrick H Dessein1,
  2. Gavin R Norton1,
  3. Angela J Woodiwiss1,
  4. Ahmed Solomon2
  1. 1 Faculty of Health Sciences, Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
  2. 2Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Rheumatology, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
  1. Correspondence to Professor Patrick Dessein, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, P.O. Box 1012, Melville, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2109, South Africa; dessein{at}telkomsa.net

https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-203587

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    Resistin is an adipokine that may contribute to the link between inflammation and cardiovascular disease.1 In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), resistin forms part of the inflammatory cascade and indeed colocalises with inflammatory cells in synovial tissue and upregulates cytokine production.2–6 Herein, we examined the associations of metabolic risk factors, systemic inflammation and disease characteristics with resistin concentrations as well as the independent relationship of resistin concentrations with endothelial activation in 217 African patients (112 black and 105 white patients) with established RA7 that form part of an ongoing study on cardiovascular risk.8

    All patients were employing disease modifying agents for rheumatic disease that included tumour necrosis factor-α inhibition and rituximab in 3.7% and 0.5% of them. The study was approved by the Witwatersrand University Ethics Committee (Human Subjects) and each participant gave informed written consent. Concentrations of interleukin-6, a major circulating cytokine in …

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors PHD, GRN, AJW and AS contributed to the design and concept of the study. PHD and AS generated the primary data. GRN and AJW provided the measurements of interleukin-6 and endothelial activation molecule concentrations. PHD performed the data analysis and interpretation and wrote the manuscript in cooperation with GRN and AJW.

    • Funding The South African Medical Research Council (grant MRC2008_DES) funded the testing kits for determination of interleukin-6 and endothelial activation molecule concentrations.

    • http://group.bmj.com/products/journals/instructions-for-authors/licence-forms

    • Competing interests None.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Ethics approval The Witwatersrand University Ethics Committee (Human Subjects).

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.