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Insulin resistance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: effect of anti-TNFalpha therapy
A Rosenvinge1, R Krogh-Madsen, B Baslund
1Department of Rheumatology, The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Objectives:
We undertook this study to test the hypotheses that patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are insulin resistant and that anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) therapy improves not only the clinical state of these patients but also their glucose metabolism.
Methods:
Nine RA patients with active disease and nine healthy subjects, matched for sex, age, and body mass index (BMI), underwent a hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp. The RA patients received anti-TNFalpha therapy with Humira(adalimumab) and had the insulin clamp re-evaluated after 8 weeks of treatment.
Results:
Patients with RA had marked insulin resistance (glucose infusion rate (GIR) area under the curve (AUC) was 499+/-55 mg/kg in the RA group compared to 710+/-77 mg/kg in the control group; p<0.05). However, insulin sensitivity did not differ before and after 8 weeks of adalimumab therapy. The RA patients demonstrated a reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels after the therapy as compared to pretreatment values, but there was no concomitant effect on plasma levels of TNFalpha.
Conclusion:
RA patients with active disease showed marked insulin resistance that was not influenced by anti-TNFalpha therapy despite a reduction in systemic inflammation during the treatment.
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