title: Anti-TNF-α therapy reduces endothelial cell activation in non-diabetic ankylosing spondylitis patients.
abstract: Endothelial dysfunction can be detected by the presence of elevated levels of biomarkers of endothelial cell activation. In this study, we aimed to establish whether correlations of these biomarkers with characteristics of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) exist. We also studied the effect of anti-TNF-α therapy on these biomarkers. Serum sE-selectin, MCP-1 and sVCAM-1 levels were measured by ELISA in 30 non-diabetic AS patients undergoing anti-TNF-α therapy, immediately before and after an infusion of infliximab. Correlations of these biomarkers with clinical features, systemic inflammation, metabolic syndrome and other serum and plasma biomarkers of cardiovascular risk were studied. Potential changes in the concentration of these biomarkers following an infliximab infusion were also assessed. sE-selectin showed a positive correlation with CRP (p = 0.02) and with other endothelial cell activation biomarkers such as sVCAM-1 (p = 0.019) and apelin (p = 0.008). sVCAM-1 negatively correlated with BMI (p = 0.018), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.008) and serum glucose (p = 0.04). sVCAM-1 also showed a positive correlation with VAS spinal pain (p = 0.014) and apelin (p < 0.001). MCP-1 had a negative correlation with LDL cholesterol (p = 0.026) and ESR (p = 0.017). Patients with hip involvement and synovitis and/or enthesitis in other peripheral joints showed higher levels of MCP-1 (p = 0.004 and 0.02, respectively). A single infliximab infusion led to a significant reduction in sE-selectin (p = 0.0015) and sVCAM-1 (p = 0.04). Endothelial dysfunction correlates with inflammation and metabolic syndrome features in patients with AS. A beneficial effect of the anti-TNF-α blockade on endothelial dysfunction, manifested by a reduction in levels of biomarkers of endothelial cell activation, was observed.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Avenida de Valdecilla, s/n, 39008, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Genre
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Avenida de Valdecilla, s/n, 39008, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López-Mejías
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Division, Hospital Lucus Augusti, Lugo, Spain.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Miranda-Filloy
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Avenida de Valdecilla, s/n, 39008, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ubilla
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Avenida de Valdecilla, s/n, 39008, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mijares
authors.affiliation: Oncology Division, Hospital Del Bierzo, Ponferrada, León, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carnero-López
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Computational Biology, School of Medicine, IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Inés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gómez-Acebo
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Computational Biology, School of Medicine, IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Trinidad
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dierssen-Sotos
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Avenida de Valdecilla, s/n, 39008, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Remuzgo-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Avenida de Valdecilla, s/n, 39008, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Avenida de Valdecilla, s/n, 39008, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Trinitario
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pina
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Hospital Lucus Augusti, Lugo, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: González-Juanatey
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Computational Biology, School of Medicine, IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.|CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Llorca
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Avenida de Valdecilla, s/n, 39008, Santander, Spain. miguelaggay@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: González-Gay
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D019040:E-Selectin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D000069285:Infliximab
keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis; Anti-TNF-α; Endothelial activation; MCP-1; sE-selectin; sVCAM-1