title: Serum osteoprotegerin concentration is associated with carotid atherosclerotic plaque in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a regulator of bone resorption, is involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and atherosclerosis. OPG is elevated in patients with coronary artery disease, and high OPG levels are associated with cardiac disease severity and mortality in the general population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of serum OPG levels, traditional coronary risk factors, and RA-related factors to carotid atherosclerosis in RA patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-one RA patients were studied (85 % women, age 60 ± 10 years). Serum OPG levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prevalence of carotid plaque was assessed by ultrasonographic imaging in all patients. The relationship between various clinical characteristics, OPG, and carotid plaque was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum OPG levels were significantly higher in patients with carotid plaque than in those without plaque (median level 1,397 vs. 887 pg/mL, respectively; P = 0.006). There were no significant differences between RA patients with and without carotid plaque with respect to sex, duration of RA, blood pressure, body mass index, smoking, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, Disease Activity Score-28, van der Heijde-modified Sharp score, and prednisolone dose. After adjusting for age, sex, and C-reactive protein, elevated levels of OPG were still associated with a higher prevalence of carotid plaque in patients with RA (P = 0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RA patients suffer from accelerated atherosclerosis and also have increased levels of OPG. The serum OPG level is independently associated with carotid plaque.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Applied Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama-machi, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0495, Japan. yu2asa@saitama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yu Funakubo
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Asanuma
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Noritsune
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kouzu
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isozaki
authors.forename: Ayako Shimbara
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Toshihide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D053244:Osteoprotegerin