title: Angiopoietin-2 serum levels correlate with severity, early onset and cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and high risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Angiopoietin-2 (Angpt-2), a marker of endothelial cell activation, has been proposed as a mediator of angiogenesis, which might play an important role in the regulation of endothelial integrity and inflammation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether Angpt-2 is related to severity and CV disease in RA patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Angpt-2 serum levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 290 patients with RA. A control group of 100 individuals frequency matched by age and sex and classic CV risk factors and CV disease was also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-four patients with RA (28.9%) had experienced CV events. Also, extra-articular manifestations were present in 41 (14%) of these patients. Although there were not significant differences between patients and controls, a correlation between age at the time of disease onset and Angpt-2 was observed in RA patients (r=-0.31; p=0.02). Angpt-2 serum levels also correlated positively with extra-articular disease (mean±standard deviation in RA patients with and without extra-articular manifestations were 2476±1716 pg/ml and 1897±1228 pg/ml, respectively; p=0.01). Moreover, after adjustment for sex, age at RA diagnosis and CV risk factors, Angpt-2 levels were higher in RA patients with CV disease than in RA patients without CV complications (2472±1826 pg/ml vs. 1875±1101 pg/ml; p=0.05). Angpt-2 serum levels remained significantly higher in RA patients with CV disease compared to those without CV disease after additional adjustment for extra-articular manifestations (p=0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that Angpt-2 serum levels correlate with disease severity, early onset and CV disease in RA patients.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IFIMAV, Santander, Spain. rlopezmejias78@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López-Mejías
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corrales
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Genre
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ochoa
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: González-Juanatey
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Llorca
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: González-Gay
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D042702:Angiopoietin-2; D015415:Biomarkers