title: Treatment-specific changes in circulating adipocytokines: a comparison between tumour necrosis factor blockade and glucocorticoid treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is increasing evidence that adipocytokines may exert proinflammatory and destructive effects in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Hence, the authors investigated the relationship between adipocytokines and several features associated with RA (inflammation, joint destruction and cardiovascular disease), as well as the effect of treatment with a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor or glucocorticoids (GCs) hereupon.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of adiponectin, leptin, resistin, visfatin, vaspin and lipids were determined in a well-defined cohort of patients with RA before and after 16 weeks of adalimumab treatment (adalimumab cohort). The same parameters were analysed in two other cohorts of patients with RA before and after 2 weeks of high-dose prednisolone (high GC cohort) and before and after 22 weeks of treatment with a combination regimen with tapered high-dose prednisolone (COBRA -GC cohort). Radiographs of hands and feet (adalimumab and COBRA-GC cohorts) were assessed at baseline and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with adalimumab or GC showed opposing effects on vaspin and visfatin levels. Lipid levels improved after several months of adalimumab or GC treatment; in the adalimumab cohort, this was related to reduced visfatin levels, independent of C reactive protein levels. After long-term adalimumab or GC treatment, resistin levels declined, which was associated with a decrease in inflammation markers. In the adalimumab cohort, baseline resistin levels were predictive of baseline radiological damage, independent of anticitrullinated peptide antibodies status or C reactive protein levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in serum adipocytokine levels were treatment specific, further strengthening the role of visfatin and resistin in several disease manifestations of RA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Room F4-105, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klaasen
authors.forename: M M J
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Herenius
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wijbrandts
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Jager
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: van Tuyl
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nurmohamed
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Prakken
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gerlag
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Tak
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab; D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D011239:Prednisolone; D000068879:Adalimumab