Table 1.
Demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics of the study subjects.
| Variable | Rheumatoid arthritis (n = 35) | Healthy subjects (n = 25) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 46.0 ± 9.1 | 42.8 ± 7.6 | 0.15 |
| Gender: M/F (n) | 12/23 | 9/16 | – |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.1 ± 3.9 | 23.2 ± 2.6 | 0.30 |
| Smoking (n) | 0 | 0 | – |
| Systolic BP (mm Hg) | 125.0 ± 20.9 | 118.8 ± 8.7 | 0.16 |
| Diastolic BP (mm Hg) | 79.3. ± 8.3 | 76.4 ± 8.4 | 0.27 |
| Disease duration (years) | 8.5 ± 5.0 | – | – |
| Fasting glucose (mg/dl) | 102.1 ± 8.4 | 96.3 ± 6.2 | 0.26 |
| HbA1c (%) | 5.44 ± 0.4 | 5.26 ± 0.7 | 0.23 |
| Serum creatinine (μmol/l) | 0.89 ± 0.8 | 0.82 ± 0.6 | 0.27 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 166.6 ± 18.8 | 162.2 ± 15.7 | 0.42 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 42.4 ± 3.3 | 44.1 ± 3.8 | 0.09 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 95.9 ± 15.9 | 89.49 ± 11.86 | 0.26 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 121.5 ± 26.7 | 118.2 ± 20.3 | 0.45 |
| ESR (mm 1st h) | 36.64. ± 9.42 | 17.6 ± 4.64 | <0.001* |
| CRP (mg/dl) | 13.09 ± 8.26 | 3.98 ± 1.14 | <0.001* |
| DAS-28 | 4.10 ± 0.64 | – | – |
| FMD% | 6.53 ± 1.81 | 10.77 ± 0.53 | <0.001* |
| CIMT (mm) | 0.62 ± 0.017 | 0.43 ± 0.007 | 0.003* |
| EPC% | 0.021 ± 0.007 | 0.044 ± 0.01 | <0.001* |
| S. Nitrite | 5.76 ± 1.0 | 1.92 ± 0.64 | <0.01* |
| TNF-α (pg/ml) | 4.02 ± 0.89 | 3.13 ± 0.99 | <0.001* |
| IL-6 (pg/ml) | 12.40 ± 3.91 | 4.01 ± 0.83 | <0.001* |
| IL-1 (pg/ml) | 243.8 ± 59.5 | 88.72 ± 17.9 | <0.001* |
Values are mean ± SD.
*
p-value <0.05.
BMI, body mass index; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP, C-reactive protein; DAS-28, disease activity score in 28 joints count; FMD, flow mediated dilation; CIMT, carotid intima media thickness; EPCs, Endothelial progenitor cells; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-a; IL-6, interleukin-6; IL-1, interleukin-1.