Association of serum chemerin levels with complications and comorbidity in rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease as well as a typical inflammatory process. Chemerin is a fat tissue cytokine, which specific receptors were discovered on the surface of the innate immune cells. It is of interest to study the association of chemerin with the complications and comorbidity in RA.

Aim. To study the association between serum chemerin levels with complications and comorbidity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Materials and methods. 88 women with RA were enrolled in our study. ll patients undergone standard clinical and laboratory examination. Serum chemerin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), anti-citrullinated protein antibodies, insulin and C-peptide levels were determined using ELISA. X-ray absorptiometry was performed. Statistical analysis was performed using conventional methods with a software package Statistica 10.0.

Results. Median chemerin concentration was  463.5  [366–576.5]  ng/ml.  Chemerin  concentration  correlated  with the age (ρ = 0.232; р = 0.030), weight (ρ = 0.254; р = 0.017) and body mass index (BMI) (ρ = 0.212; р = 0.047), but wasn’t associated with the RA classification criteria. Positive correlation between chemerin concentration and number of painful joints (NPJ) (ρ = 0.213; р = 0.046) and hsCRP (ρ = 0.273; р = 0.010) was observed. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) had higher chemerin concentration (598.0 ng/ml vs 479.5 ng/ml, Z = -2.68; p = 0.007) and patients with cholecystectomy in anamesis had lower (359.0 ng/ml vs 479.0 ng/ml, Z = 2.02; p = 0.043). Chemerin concentration correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) (ρ = -0.41; р < 0.001 and ρ = -0.27; р = 0.028, respectively).

Conclusions. Chemerin concentration in women with RA correlates with age, weight, BMI, NPJ and hsCRP. Chemerin concentration in patients with comorbid DM2 was higher and in patients comorbid with cholecystectomy in anamnesis was lower. Chemerin concentration correlates negatively with a systolic and diastolic BP.

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