Relationship Between the Lipidome Profile and Disease Activity in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Lipidomics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Lipid mediators are implicated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis.
• Lipidomics offers potential for RA diagnosis and predicting treatment response.
• The link between RA disease activity and lipid profiles requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between plasma lipid profiles and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
• To identify specific lipids that correlate with disease activity measured by DAS28-ESR.
• To explore the potential role of identified lipids in RA pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Plasma lipidomic analysis was conducted on 278 RA patients undergoing treatment.
• Disease activity was assessed using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).
• Statistical analyses examined correlations between lipid levels and DAS28-ESR, adjusted for confounders. In vitro experiments assessed stearic acid's effect on osteoclast differentiation.

Main Results:

• Seven lipids negatively correlated and five lipids positively correlated with DAS28-ESR.
• Stearic acid and palmitic acid exhibited strong negative correlations with disease activity (r = -0.45 and r = -0.38, respectively).
• Adjusted analyses confirmed negative correlations for stearic acid, palmitic acid, bilirubin, and lysophosphatidylcholines with RA disease activity. Stearic acid inhibited osteoclast differentiation in vitro.

Conclusions:

• The lipid profile in RA patients is significantly associated with disease activity.
• Specific lipids, including stearic acid and palmitic acid, may play a role in RA pathogenesis, potentially by influencing bone metabolism.
• These findings highlight the potential of lipidomics in understanding RA and developing novel biomarkers.