title: Circulating levels of TNF-like cytokine 1A correlate with the progression of atheromatous lesions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Interactions between TNF-like Cytokine 1A (TL1A) and its receptors, death receptor-3 (DR3) and decoy receptor-3 (DcR3) may be important in atherogenesis. We hypothesized that dysregulation of this system predicts formation of new atheromatic plaques in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Forty-five patients were prospectively followed up for 40.5 ± 3.6 months. Serum concentrations of TL1A and DcR3 were measured at baseline and carotid and femoral arteries examined by ultrasound at baseline and at the end of follow-up. Individual serum levels of TL1A correlated with the progression of carotid atheromatic plaque height (Spearman rho = 0.550, p = 0.003). Patients with low TL1A and undetectable DcR3 serum levels at baseline showed significantly fewer newly formed carotid plaques during the next 3.5 years than the remaining patients (P = 0.016). Univariate analysis showed that a "low TL1A/DcR3" immunophenotype predicted a preserved atherosclerosis profile in carotid (P = 0.026), or carotid and/or femoral arteries (P = 0.022). Dysregulated TL1A-induced signaling may be associated with risk for accelerated atherosclerosis in RA.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Propaedeutic and Internal Medicine, Laikon Hospital, Medical School, Ethnikon and Kapodistriakon Univesity, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bamias
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stamatelopoulos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zampeli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Protogerou
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sigala
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papamichael
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Christopoulos
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kitas
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Sfikakis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D053323:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 6b / Q000097:blood; D053380:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 15 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D053323:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 6b; C505911:TNFRSF6B protein, human; C117026:TNFSF15 protein, human; D053380:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 15