title: Effects of infliximab treatment in terms of cardiovascular risk and insulin resistance in ankylosing spondylitis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of infliximab treatment on insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study, 30 consecutive AS patients (23 men and 7 women) fulfilling the modified 1984 New York criteria for AS were investigated. All patients were treated with intravenous infliximab. A complete biochemical profile and assesments were obtained before and after 12 weeks of infliximab therapy. The Homoeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance Index (HOMA-IR) was used to measure insulin resistance (IR). Framingham equation was used to assess cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 12 weeks of infliximab treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, lipid parameters, body-mass index, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio, whereas fasting glucose levels (p = 0.001), triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (p = 0.043) and total cholesterol/HDL (p = 0.041) ratio increased significantly from baseline. A significant decrease was observed for both systolic blood pressures (p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressures (p = 0.003) in the 12th-week visit. A significant decrease was also found in terms of Framingham risk scores (p = 0.028) after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study results suggest that infliximab treatment may reduce cardiovascular risk and blood pressures without changing IR.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine , Yuregir/Adana , Turkey.
authors.forename: Emine Duygu
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Ersozlu Bozkirli
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bozkirli
authors.forename: Ahmet Eftal
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Yucel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000069285:Infliximab