Key result
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis linked to ~49% shorter telomere length vs healthy controls despite normal PWV.
Why the study?
Pulse wave velocity and telomere length are potential predictors of cardiovascular disease in juvenile idiopathic arthritis, but their relationship has not been studied in this population without cardiovascular risk factors.
Cross-Sectional (n=65)
No
Absolute Event Rate: 0.85% vs 1.67%
p-value: p=0.025
Shorter telomeres in JIA without CV risks warrant no practice change; leaves open premature aging as a hypothesis-generating research target.
BACKGROUND: Advances in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treatment is promoting free disease survival. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) may emerge as an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Pulse wave velocity (PWV), a surrogate marker of arterial stiffness, and telomere length (TL) are considered as potential predictors of CVD and its outcomes. The study aim was to assess PWV, TL in a JIA population and to test its correlation. In a cross sectional study, 24 JIA patients, 21 controls for TL and 20 controls for PWV were included. PWV was assessed by an oscillometric device. TL was assessed by qPCR. JIA activity was accessed by JADAS-27. Smoking, diabetes, obesity, renal impairment, hypertension, dyslipidemia and inflammatory diseases were excluded. FINDINGS: Between cases and controls for TL, there was significant difference in age. No differences in gender, ethnics and bone mass index between JIA and control groups for PWV and TL. The JADAS-27 median was 8. TL was significantly reduced in JIA (0.85 ± 0.34 vs. 1. 67 ± 1.38, P = 0.025). When age adjusted by ANCOVA, the difference remained significant (P = 0,032). PWV was normal in all patients (5.1 ± 0.20 m/s vs. 4.98 ± 0.06 m/s, P = 0, 66). There was no correlation between TL, PWV or JADAS-27. CONCLUSION: Compared to controls, JIA with high disease activity and no CVD risk factors have shorter telomeres and normal PWV. As far as we know, this first time this correlation is being tested in rheumatic disease and in paediatrics.
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Picarelli et al. (2017) conducted a cross-sectional in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (n=65). Juvenile idiopathic arthritis vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Telomere length (T/S ratio) (p=0.025). Juvenile idiopathic arthritis without cardiovascular risk factors was associated with significantly shorter telomere length compared to healthy controls (0.85 vs 1.67, p=0.025), while pulse wave velocity remained normal.
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