Key result
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis did not have significantly higher plasma ADMA concentrations compared to healthy controls (1.0 vs 0.9 mmol/l), though they exhibited significantly increased arterial stiffness.
Case-Control (n=60)
No
Absolute Event Rate: 1% vs 0.9%
p-value: p=NS
Arterial stiffness is increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and associated with systemic inflammation, but this is not driven by elevated ADMA concentrations.
Increased arterial stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis warrants inflammation-focused evaluation independent of ADMA; leaves open alternative vascular pathways for prospective study.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), as a measure of endothelial dysfunction, are higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with healthy control subjects. The relationships between ADMA and surrogate measures of arterial stiffness were evaluated. METHODS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy control subjects were recruited. ADMA was quantified via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Arterial stiffness was evaluated using pulse wave analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in plasma ADMA concentration between patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 30). Aortic augmentation pressure was significantly higher in patients than in controls. C-reactive protein and Health Assessment Questionnaire score were independent predictors of arterial stiffness in patients. There was no relationship between ADMA concentration and aortic augmentation pressure in the study population as a whole. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial stiffness appears to be increased in rheumatoid arthritis and independently associated with systemic inflammation and physical disability. ADMA concentration was not increased in this small group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with healthy controls; nor was it associated with arterial stiffness.
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Erre et al. (2016) conducted a case-control in Rheumatoid arthritis (n=60). Rheumatoid arthritis vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Plasma ADMA concentration (mmol/l) (p=NS). Patients with rheumatoid arthritis did not have significantly higher plasma ADMA concentrations compared to healthy controls (1.0 vs 0.9 mmol/l), though they exhibited significantly increased arterial stiffness.
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