title: Increased production of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in ankylosing spondylitis: association with other clinical and laboratory parameters.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Debrecen, Medical and Health Science Center, Debrecen 4032, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ádám
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Kemény-Beke
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gesztelyi
authors.forename: Nóra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bodnár
authors.forename: Judit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zsuga
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kerekes
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zsuga
authors.forename: Bernadett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Biri
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kéki
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szodoray
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berta
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szekanecz
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szántó
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine