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Serum cathepsin S and cystatin C: relationship to subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

 

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
  2. Central Laboratory Division, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
  3. Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
  4. Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain; and University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
  5. Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain. iferrazamaro@hotmail.com

CER8735
2016 Vol.34, N°2
PI 0230, PF 0235
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PMID: 26941186 [PubMed]

Received: 30/06/2015
Accepted : 07/10/2015
In Press: 26/02/2016
Published: 13/04/2016

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
To assess whether serum cathepsin S and cystatin C, two novel markers of cardiovascular disease risk, are associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
METHODS:
Serum cystatin C and cathepsin S levels, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaques were assessed in a cross-sectional study involving 178 RA patients.
RESULTS:
An association between disease activity scores with higher levels of cystatin C, but not with cathepsin S, was found. Cystatin C levels were also associated with cIMT in the patient subgroup included in the higher quartile of Cimt (OR 1.31, 95%CI [1.00-1.72], p=0.04) after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, age and sex. An association between serum cystatin C levels and carotid plaques was also found in the univariate analysis (OR 1.37, 95%CI [1.06-1.76], p=0.02). However, this significant association was lost after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and age. Cathepsin S was not associated with cIMT or carotid plaques.
CONCLUSIONS:
High cystatin C serum levels identify a subgroup of RA patients with a high risk of subclinical atherosclerotic disease.

Rheumatology Article