title: Anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy increases serum adiponectin levels with the improvement of endothelial dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Lower adiponectin levels in circulation are shown to be associated with endothelial dysfunction, which is a crucial feature in the evolution of atherosclerosis. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy on adiponectin levels with endothelial function and arterial stiffness. Fifteen Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) received infusions with infliximab (3 mg/kg) at weeks 0, 2, and 6. Serum concentrations of adiponectin, endothelial function, and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured before each infusion. Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and endothelium-independent vasodilatation were evaluated as forearm blood flow response to reactive and nitroglycerin-induced hyperemia using strain-gauge plethysmography. Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation was significantly improved at 2 weeks and 6 weeks by treatment with infliximab. PWV remained unchanged. Anti-TNF therapy significantly increased serum adiponectin levels at 2 weeks and 6 weeks. The adiponectin levels were positively correlated with the endothelium-dependent vasodilatation, and negatively with the disease activity score of 28 joints. Our study shows a short-term efficacy of infliximab on adiponectin levels and endothelial dysfunction of patients with RA, and provides additional evidence to support the regulatory role of TNF-alpha on the expression of adiponectin in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Komai
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakuta
authors.forename: Atsunori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuwabara
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kashihara
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab; D005996:Nitroglycerin