title: Serum salusin-alpha level in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory disease, leads to early and accelerated atherosclerosis; however, its pathogenesis is not yet fully documented. Salusin-α and β are novel bioactive peptides. Salusin-α suppresses macrophage foam cell formation, while salusin-β stimulates. Moreover, decreased serum salusin-α level has been reported previously in patients with coronary artery disease. The aims of the study were to assess serum salusin-α level and its association with predictors of atherosclerosis in a cohort of patients with RA. The study included 56 RA patients, 37 Behcet's disease (BD) patients, and 29 healthy controls (HC). TNF-α, IL-6 and salusin-α levels, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) index and common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were determined. In the RA and BD groups, salusin-α levels (p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively) and IMTs (p<0.001 for both) were higher compared to the HC group. However, the level of salusin-α was not directly associated with the IMT in all the groups. Serum salusin-α levels are increased in RA and BD, although they have increased IMT. Salusin-α has been reported to have anti-atherogenic effects in previous studies. However, it seems that salusin-α does not directly affect the atherogenesis in RA and BD. Further studies are needed to understand the regulation of salusin-α and determination of its relations with the predictors of atherosclerosis in RA and BD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozgen
authors.forename: Suleyman Serdar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Koca
authors.forename: Necati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dagli
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balin
authors.forename: Bilal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ustundag
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; C478739:TOR2A protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha