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Serum Lipid Alterations in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients on Disease Modifying Anti Rheumatoid Therapy

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Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Dyslipidaemia is a major CVD risk factor in the general population. Current evidence suggests that lipid metabolism is altered in RA due to inflammation, and that use of anti-inflammatory therapy may reverse some of these changes. The objective of our study is to compare the effect of treatment with DMARD on lipid fractions after 6 months of therapy. Forty patients who met the American College of Rheumatology, ACR/EULAR criteria for rheumatoid arthritis, with disease duration of less than 1 year and no prior treatment were included in the study. Thirty healthy volunteers were included as controls. The mean DAS-28 at disease onset was 5.15 ± 1.3. Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (ERA) patients exhibited higher serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) and lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and lower serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels compared to controls. As a consequence, the atherogenic index of plasma [log (TG/HDL-C)], the atherogenic indices: TC/HDL-C as well as LDLC/HDL-C was significantly higher in ERA patients compared to controls. After 6 months of treatment, there was significant reduction of the DAS 28, HDL-C and Apo A-I improved and Lp(a) decreased significantly. All lipid ratios improved, a phenomenon primarily due to the increase in serum HDL-C levels. These changes were inversely correlated with CRP and ESR. In conclusion, ERA patients are characterized by an atherogenic lipid profile, which improves with DMARD therapy.

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Acknowledgments

Funding

This study was self funded.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telengana, 500082, India

    Sana Parveen, Rachel Jacob & Iyyapu Krishna Mohan

  2. Department of Rheumatology, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telengana, 500082, India

    Liza Rajasekhar & C. Srinivasa

Authors
  1. Sana Parveen
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  2. Rachel Jacob
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  3. Liza Rajasekhar
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  4. C. Srinivasa
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  5. Iyyapu Krishna Mohan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rachel Jacob.

Ethics declarations

The study was approved by the hospital Institutional Ethical Committee (4th ESGS—NO.42/13).

Conflict of interest

The authors: Dr. Sana Parveen, Dr. Rachel Jacob, Dr. Liza Rajasekhar, Dr. C. Srinivas, Dr. Iyyapu Krishna Mohan declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Parveen, S., Jacob, R., Rajasekhar, L. et al. Serum Lipid Alterations in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients on Disease Modifying Anti Rheumatoid Therapy. Ind J Clin Biochem 32, 26–32 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-016-0566-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-016-0566-9

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