TY - JOUR
T1 - Pretreatment resistin levels are associated with erosive disease in early rheumatoid arthritis treated with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and infliximab
AU - Vuolteenaho, K.
AU - Tuure, L.
AU - Nieminen, R.
AU - Laasonen, L.
AU - Leirisalo-Repo, M.
AU - Moilanen, E.
AU - NEO-RACo Study Group
AU - Möttönen, Timo
AU - Korpela, Markku
AU - Kauppi, Markku
AU - Luosujärvi, Riitta
AU - Alasaarela, Eeva
AU - Blåfield, Harri
AU - Eklund, Kari K.
AU - Hakola, Mikko
AU - Hannonen, Pekka
AU - Julkunen, Heikki
AU - Kaipiainen-Seppänen, Oili
AU - Karjalainen, Anna
AU - Kononoff, Aulikki
AU - Krogerus, Maija Liisa
AU - Laiho, Kari
AU - Luukkainen, Reijo
AU - Malmi, Timo
AU - Niinisalo, Helena
AU - Paimela, Leena
AU - Peltomaa, Ritva
AU - Puolakka, Kari
AU - Rantalaiho, Vappu
AU - Uusitalo, Tea
AU - Uutela, Toini
AU - Valleala, Heikki
AU - Vuori, Kaisa
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was financially supported by Scandinavian Rheumatology Research Foundation, Maire Lisko Foundation, Competitive Research Funding of the Tampere University Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital Research Funds, and the research funds of participating hospitals. At baseline an unrestricted grant was provided by Schering-Plough Finland, which was used for the purchase of infliximab. Schering-Plough Finland also provided support for investigator meetings during the NEO-RACo study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Objective: Resistin is an adipocytokine related to insulin resistance and inflammation. We investigated whether resistin is associated with disease activity and inflammation in disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD)-naïve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, whether it has predictive value for radiological disease progression, and whether tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is involved in these effects. Method: Ninety-nine patients with early, DMARD-naïve RA participated in the NEO-RACo study. Patients were treated for the first 4 weeks with a combination of methotrexate, sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, and prednisolone (FIN-RACo treatment). Thereafter, they were randomized to receive either infliximab or placebo added to the combination for 6 months. Patients were followed for 5 years. Disease activity was evaluated using the Disease Activity Score based on 28-joint count–erythrocyte sedimentation rate, radiographs were scored with the modified Sharp–van der Heijde method, and plasma resistin concentrations were measured by immunoassay. Human THP-1 macrophages were used in the in vitro studies. Results: A high resistin level at baseline was associated with active inflammatory disease and predicted more rapid radiological progression during 5 year follow-up. Adding infliximab to the DMARD combination delayed radiological progression and overcame the poor predictive value of resistin. Resistin increased TNF-α production in human macrophages, indicating a possible connection between resistin and TNF-α. Conclusion: The results suggest that high resistin concentration may be a useful marker to distinguish patients with an increased risk of erosive disease in early active RA, and that adding TNF-α antagonist to the traditional DMARD combination may delay radiological progression of the disease in these patients. The study has been registered at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00908089).
AB - Objective: Resistin is an adipocytokine related to insulin resistance and inflammation. We investigated whether resistin is associated with disease activity and inflammation in disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD)-naïve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, whether it has predictive value for radiological disease progression, and whether tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is involved in these effects. Method: Ninety-nine patients with early, DMARD-naïve RA participated in the NEO-RACo study. Patients were treated for the first 4 weeks with a combination of methotrexate, sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, and prednisolone (FIN-RACo treatment). Thereafter, they were randomized to receive either infliximab or placebo added to the combination for 6 months. Patients were followed for 5 years. Disease activity was evaluated using the Disease Activity Score based on 28-joint count–erythrocyte sedimentation rate, radiographs were scored with the modified Sharp–van der Heijde method, and plasma resistin concentrations were measured by immunoassay. Human THP-1 macrophages were used in the in vitro studies. Results: A high resistin level at baseline was associated with active inflammatory disease and predicted more rapid radiological progression during 5 year follow-up. Adding infliximab to the DMARD combination delayed radiological progression and overcame the poor predictive value of resistin. Resistin increased TNF-α production in human macrophages, indicating a possible connection between resistin and TNF-α. Conclusion: The results suggest that high resistin concentration may be a useful marker to distinguish patients with an increased risk of erosive disease in early active RA, and that adding TNF-α antagonist to the traditional DMARD combination may delay radiological progression of the disease in these patients. The study has been registered at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00908089).
U2 - 10.1080/03009742.2021.1929456
DO - 10.1080/03009742.2021.1929456
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85110921665
SN - 0300-9742
VL - 51
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology
IS - 3
ER -
