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Relations of Serum COMP to Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Endothelial Function in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated with Methotrexate and TNF-α Inhibitors
The Journal of Rheumatology, 06/04/2012
Clinical Article
Hjeltnes G et al. – The cartilage turnover marker serum level of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (S–COMP) did not change significantly after 6 months’ treatment with methotrexate (MTX) with or without a TNF–α inhibitor in patients with RA. The positive association between S–COMP and anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) suggests that these factors might interact, and could both be contributors to an unknown link between inflammation and cartilage destruction in patients with RA. S–COMP was not related to endothelial function in patients with RA, or to other cardiovascular risk factors studied.
Methods- Clinical and laboratory measures, including S–COMP and reactive hyperemic index (RHI), were examined in 55 consecutive patients with RA starting with either MTX (n = 34) or MTX and anti–TNF–α treatment (n = 21) at baseline, and after 6 weeks and 6 months.
- S–COMP was similar in the 2 treatment regimens during followup.
- The authors found a positive relationship between S–COMP at baseline and the use of disease–modifying antirheumatic drugs the last year preceding the study (p = 0.001), and a negative relation to current use of systemic glucocortico – steroids (p = 0.044).
- The nonsignificant change in S–COMP between baseline and the 6–month followup was positively and independently related to change in ACPA level (p = 0.009).
- There was no significant association between RHI and level of S–COMP at baseline.
