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Angiopoietin-2 as A Biomarker For Echocardiographic Abnormalities and Carotid Atherosclerosis In Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hanan Omar1, Ahmed Tageldien Abdellah2, Housseini Abdalla3

  • 1Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

The Egyptian Journal of Immunology
|May 15, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Elevated Angiopoietin 2 (Ang-2) levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients correlate with subclinical cardiovascular disease markers like diastolic dysfunction and carotid intima-media thickness, suggesting Ang-2 as a potential biomarker for atherosclerosis in RA.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Rheumatology
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is linked to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
  • Angiopoietin 2 (Ang-2) is implicated in CVD in the general population.
  • Subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiac abnormalities are common in RA patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess serum Angiopoietin 2 (Ang-2) levels in RA patients.
  • To investigate the correlation between Ang-2 levels and subclinical CVD markers (echocardiographic abnormalities, carotid intima-media thickness) in RA.
  • To evaluate Ang-2 as a potential biomarker for atherosclerosis in RA.

Main Methods:

  • Serum Ang-2, Rheumatoid Factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (Anti-CCP), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 44 RA patients and 44 controls.
  • Disease Activity Score (DAS-28) was calculated for RA patients.
  • Doppler Echocardiography and Carotid ultrasonography were performed to assess cardiac function and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT).

Main Results:

  • RA patients exhibited significantly higher serum Ang-2 levels compared to controls (17.59±13.9 vs 7.91±4.1 ng/ml, P<0.001).
  • Elevated Ang-2 levels were observed in RA patients with left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction and increased cIMT (>0.6mm).
  • Serum Ang-2 positively correlated with disease duration, DAS-28, LV posterior wall thickness, E wave velocity, and cIMT.

Conclusions:

  • Serum Ang-2 levels are associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and increased carotid intima-media thickness in RA patients.
  • Ang-2 may serve as a valuable biomarker for detecting subclinical cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis in individuals with RA.

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