Plasma indices of endothelial and platelet activation in Rheumatoid Disease: relationship to cardiovascular co-morbidity.
BACKGROUND
Rheumatoid Disease (RD) is associated with ischaemic heart disease (IHD). We sought to investigate whether abnormalities of endothelial function and platelet activation in patients with established RD were related to co-morbid cardiovascular risk factors.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional study, RD patients with no cardiac risk factors and normal cardiac function (RD, n=73), those with cardiovascular disease or risk factors and normal cardiac function (RD-risk, n=59), and those with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (RD-LVSD, n=21) were recruited, and compared to healthy controls (HC, n=76). Plasma levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF, an index of endothelial damage/dysfunction), soluble E-selectin (sE-sel, a marker of endothelial activation), and soluble P-selectin (sP-sel, an index of platelet activation) were studied.


RESULTS
Plasma levels of vWF and sP-sel (but not sE-sel) were significantly higher among 153 RD patients compared to controls (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). Levels of vWF progressively rose with increasing cardiovascular risk across the four subgroups (p for trend<0.001). Previous IHD was independently associated with vWF levels, and diabetes mellitus (DM) was similarly associated with all three markers. RD itself and beta-blocker use were associated with sP-sel.


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma levels of vWF and sP-sel are higher among RD patients. Levels of vWF were particularly influenced by cardiac risk factor status, and associated with known IHD and DM.
Bhatia
Gurbir S
GS
Haemostasis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Unit, University Department of Medicine, City Hospital, Birmingham B187QH, England UK.
Sosin
Michael D
MD
Patel
Jeetesh V
JV
Grindulis
Karl A
KA
Khattak
Fazal H
FH
Davis
Russell C
RC
Lip
Gregory Y H
GY
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000378:metabolism; D015539:Platelet Activation; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D019040:E-Selectin; D019007:P-Selectin; D014841:von Willebrand Factor