title: Severity of Osteoarthritis Is Associated with Increased Arterial Stiffness.
abstract: Objective. Osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with increased cardiovascular comorbidity and mortality. Evidence is lacking about whether arterial stiffness is involved in OA. The objective of our study was to find out associations between OA, arterial stiffness, and adipokines. Design. Seventy end-stage knee and hip OA patients (age 62 ± 7 years) and 70 asymptomatic controls (age 60 ± 7 years) were investigated using the applanation tonometry to determine their parameters of arterial stiffness. Serum adiponectin, leptin, and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) levels were determined using the ELISA method. Correlation between variables was determined using Spearman's rho. Multiple regression analysis with a stepwise selection procedure was employed. Results. Radiographic OA grade was positively associated with increased carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) (r = 0.272, p = 0.023). We found that OA grade was also associated with leptin and MMP-3 levels (rho = -0.246, p = 0.040 and rho = 0.235, p = 0.050, resp.). In addition, serum adiponectin level was positively associated with augmentation index and inversely with large artery elasticity index (rho = 0.293, p = 0.006 and rho = -0.249, p = 0.003, resp.). Conclusions. Our results suggest that OA severity is independently associated with increased arterial stiffness and is correlated with expression of adipokines. Thus, increased arterial stiffness and adipokines might play an important role in elevated cardiovascular risk in end-stage OA.
authors: Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, University of Tartu, Puusepa Street 8, 51014 Tartu, Estonia; Endothelial Centre, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors: Kaspar
authors: 0000-0003-2151-9031
authors: K
authors: Tootsi
authors: Endothelial Centre, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Surgery, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine and Department of Biochemistry, Centre of Excellence for Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Ravila Street 19, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
authors: Jaak
authors: J
authors: Kals
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine and Department of Biochemistry, Centre of Excellence for Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Ravila Street 19, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
authors: Mihkel
authors: M
authors: Zilmer
authors: Endothelial Centre, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine and Department of Biochemistry, Centre of Excellence for Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Ravila Street 19, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
authors: Kaido
authors: K
authors: Paapstel
authors: Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, University of Tartu, Puusepa Street 8, 51014 Tartu, Estonia; Traumatology and Orthopaedics Clinic, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia.
authors: Aare
authors: A
authors: Märtson