title: Arterial stiffness indexes and serum cytokine levels in seronegative spondyloarthritis: relationships between stiffness markers and metabolic and immunoinflammatory variables.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between immunoinflammatory markers and indexes of arterial stiffness in patients with seronegative spondyloarthritis (SpA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled consecutive patients with inflammatory seronegative SpA referred to a rheumatology outpatient clinic. Control subjects were patients admitted in the same period for any cause other than chronic inflammatory disease or acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured and the aortic pressure waveform was used to calculate the augmentation index (Aix). We also evaluated plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-1β, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 as markers of immunoinflammatory activation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study enrolled 53 patients with SpA and 55 control subjects. After adjustment for blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, and systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), patients with seronegative SpA showed higher mean PWV and Aix compared to controls. Moreover, in patients with seronegative SpA, we observed higher mean plasma levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in subjects with mean PWV > 8 m/s in comparison with those with PWV < 8 m/s. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between PWV > 8 m/s and male gender, age, diabetes, hypertension, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) > 120 mg/dL, total cholesterol (TC) > 200 mg/dL, coronary artery disease (CAD), microalbuminuria, carotid plaque, and plasma levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings emphasize the role of inflammatory variables and metabolic factors in indexes of high arterial stiffness. Thus, an inflammatory-metabolic background may influence the pathogenesis of increased arterial stiffness in seronegative inflammatory arthritis.
authors.affiliation: a Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Unit , Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tuttolomondo
authors.affiliation: a Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Unit , Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pecoraro
authors.affiliation: a Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Unit , Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buttà
authors.affiliation: a Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Unit , Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Raimondo
authors.affiliation: b Rheumatology Unit , Biomedical Department of lnternal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.affiliation: a Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Unit , Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Della Corte
authors.affiliation: b Rheumatology Unit , Biomedical Department of lnternal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciccia
authors.affiliation: c Section of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Clinical Medicine, Department of Medical and Forensic Biopathology and Biotechnology , University of Palermo , Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellia
authors.affiliation: b Rheumatology Unit , Biomedical Department of lnternal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giardina
authors.affiliation: b Rheumatology Unit , Biomedical Department of lnternal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raffa
authors.affiliation: c Section of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Clinical Medicine, Department of Medical and Forensic Biopathology and Biotechnology , University of Palermo , Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciaccio
authors.affiliation: a Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Unit , Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties , Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D025241:Spondylarthritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein