title: Omentin concentrations are independently associated with those of matrix metalloproteinase-3 in patients with mild but not severe rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Omentin is an adipokine that reportedly protects against cardiometabolic risk. We investigated the relationships between omentin concentrations and subclinical cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Omentin concentrations were measured in 213 (104 black; 109 white) RA patients. Relationships of omentin levels with those of endothelial activation markers, ultrasound determined carotid intima-media thickness and plaque, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, -3 and -9 that mediate altered plaque stability, were identified in confounder adjusted multivariate regression models. Omentin concentrations were inversely associated with MMP-3 levels [β = -364 (0.113), p = 0.002]. This relationship was influenced by population origin, RA activity and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and joint deformity count (interaction p value = 0.009, 0.04, 0.04 and 0.007, respectively). Accordingly, the omentin-MMP-3 concentration relationship was reproduced in white [β (SE) = -0.450 (0.153), p = 0.0004)] but not black patients [β (SE) = -0.099 (0.195), p = 0.6)], in participants with disease remission or mild disease activity [β (SE) = -0.411 (0.139), p = 0.004] but not with moderate or severe RA activity [β (SE) = -0.286 (0.202), p = 0.2], and in those with a small [β (SE) = -0.534 (0.161), p = 0.001] but not large erythrocyte sedimentation rate [-0.212 (0.168), p = 0.2] and without [β (SE) = -0.554 (0.165), p = 0.0001] but not with large joint deformity counts [-0.110 (0.173), p = 0.5]. Omentin levels were unrelated to endothelial activation and atherosclerosis. Among patients with RA, a lack of plaque stabilizing effects by omentin may contribute to the reported link between severe disease and increased cardiovascular risk. The association between concentrations of omentin and MMP-3 is population specific in RA.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Chanel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Angela J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Woodiwiss
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gunter
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Aletta M E
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Millen
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Gavin R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Division, Universitair Hospital Brussel, Laarbeeklaan, 101-1090, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Lopez
authors.affiliation: Lillehammer Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Lillehammer, Norway.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hollan
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. patrick.dessein22@gmail.com.|Rheumatology Division, Universitair Hospital Brussel, Laarbeeklaan, 101-1090, Brussels, Belgium. patrick.dessein22@gmail.com.|Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. patrick.dessein22@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Patrick H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Dessein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D044383:Black People; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000097:blood; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000097:blood*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; C432397:ITLN1 protein, human; D037102:Lectins; C511768:MMP3 protein, human; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
keywords: Atherogenesis; Cardiovascular risk; Omentin; Plaque stability; Rheumatoid arthritis