Increased production of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in ankylosing spondylitis: association with other clinical and laboratory parameters.
OBJECTIVE
Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) has been associated with atherosclerosis, vascular diseases and, recently, also with arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).


METHODS
Serum ADMA, arginine and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) levels were assessed by liquid chromatography in 61 AS and 26 osteoarthritis (OA) patients with no known cardiovascular disease.


RESULTS
Serum ADMA levels were significantly increased in AS compared to OA patients (0.95 ± 0.17 μM versus 0.70 ± 0.25 μM; p < 0.001). There were no differences in serum arginine and SDMA levels. Serum ADMA levels also positively correlated with age (R = 0.258; p = 0.043), body mass index (R = 0.368; p = 0.003), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (R = 0.329; p = 0.009) and ADMA levels negative correlated with chest expansion (R = -0.251; p = 0.04). No correlations were found between ADMA levels and disease duration, pain intensity, BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, quality of life, CRP, HLA-B27 positivity, endothelial dysfunction or carotid atherosclerosis.


CONCLUSIONS
ADMA may serve as a marker of systemic inflammation and may reflect functional immobility in AS. Further studies are needed to assess the possible role of ADMA in AS and AS-related vascular disease.
Kemény-Beke
Ádám
Á
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Debrecen, Medical and Health Science Center, Debrecen 4032, Hungary.
Gesztelyi
Rudolf
R
Bodnár
Nóra
N
Zsuga
Judit
J
Kerekes
György
G
Zsuga
Miklós
M
Biri
Bernadett
B
Kéki
Sándor
S
Szodoray
Péter
P
Berta
András
A
Szekanecz
Zoltán
Z
Szántó
Sándor
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000097:blood; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*
D015415:Biomarkers; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine