Table 2.
Lipid profile, disease activity, dyslipidaemia risk factors, and vascular measurements across the three visits for patients starting anti-TNFα therapy.
| Baseline | 2 weeks | 3 months | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lipid Profile | ||||
| TC (mmol/l) |
4.7 ± 1.0 |
4.9 ± 1.1 |
4.8 ± 0.9 |
0.170 |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/l) |
1.4 ± 0.3 |
1.5 ± 0.3† |
1.4 ± 0.3 |
0.014 |
| TG (mmol/l) |
1.4 ± 0.6 |
1.5 ± 0.7 |
1.6 ± 0.9 |
0.236 |
|
Disease Activity | ||||
| CRP (mg/l) |
10 (4 to 14) |
3 (2.9 to 6)† |
5 (2.9 to 10)† |
<0.001 |
| ESR (mmhr) |
16 (9–34) |
10 (5–21)† |
17 (5–27) |
0.003 |
| Fibrinogen (g/l) |
5.1 ± 1.0 |
4.2 ± .75 † |
4.3 ± .91† |
<0.001 |
| DAS 28 |
4.22 ± 0.94 |
2.71 ± 1.38† |
2.80 ± 1.30† |
<0.001 |
| HAQ |
2.1 ± 0.5 |
1.3 ± 0.9 † |
1.3 ± 0.9 † |
<0.001 |
| TNFα cytokine (pg/ml)* |
3.27 (0–65) |
16.2 (0–73) |
33.1 (0–68) |
0.452 |
|
Dyslipidaemia Risk Factors | ||||
| BMI (kg/m2) |
30.2 ± 6.1 |
30.3 ± 6.1 |
30.3 ± 6.2 |
0.747 |
| IPAQ (met min/wk) |
2850 ± 5451 |
2914 ± 3551 |
2503 ± 3163 |
0.625 |
|
Vascular Measurements | ||||
| Microvascular endothelial-dependent and endothelial-independent function | ||||
| ACh (%) |
319 ± 217 |
437 ± 247 † |
348 ± 209 |
0.017 |
| SNP (%) |
252 ± 126 |
288 ± 150 |
261 ± 152 |
0.314 |
| Macrovascular endothelial-dependent and endothelial-independent function | ||||
| FMD (%) |
9.4 ± 6.9 |
12.0 ± 9.6 |
12.0 ± 8.1 |
0.214 |
| GTN (%) | 22.6 ± 7.5 | 23.2 ± 7.0 | 23.8 ± 7.2 | 0.737 |
Results expressed as mean ± SD or median (interquartile range) as appropriate.
TC: total cholesterol, HDL: high density lipoprotein, TG: triglycerides, CRP: C-reactive protein, ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, DAS28: disease activity score, HAQ: health assessment questionnaire, TNFα: tumor necrosis factor alpha, BMI: body mass index, IPAQ: international physical activity questionnaire, ACh: acetylcholine-mediated dilatation, SNP: sodium nitroprusside-mediated dilatation, FMD: flow-mediated-dilatation, GTN: glyceryl trinitrate-mediated dilatation. †p < 0.05 when compared to baseline visit. *Data for 21 patients only.