Serum oxidized low-density lipoproteins in rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to measure serum oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to identify any association with clinical variables.


METHODS
We studied 126 female patients (27 with active RA, 27 with inactive RA, 72 with SLE). One hundred fifteen age-matched healthy women (76 for RA, 39 for SLE) with no clinical or laboratory evidence of disease served as normal controls. Serum Ox-LDL levels were measured with a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Mercodia, Sweden).


RESULTS
The serum Ox-LDL levels were significantly higher in patients with active RA (P<0.05) or SLE (P<0.01) than age-matched controls and significantly higher in patients with active RA than with inactive RA (P<0.01). The levels of serum total cholesterol and LDL were significantly lower in patients with RA than in age-matched controls (P<0.01). There was no correlation among serum Ox-LDL levels and inflammatory markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein) or rheumatoid factors in patients with RA.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with healthy women, those with SLE or active RA had increased serum Ox-LDL levels, which may contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in this patient group.
Kim
Seong-Ho
SH
Division of Allergy and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. junjan@dongguk.ac.kr
Lee
Chang-Keun
CK
Lee
Eun Young
EY
Park
So Yeon
SY
Cho
You Sook
YS
Yoo
Bin
B
Moon
Hee-Bom
HB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood
D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor