Table 2.
Anthropometric and metabolic characteristics, inflammatory cytokines and adipokines
| Variables | Patients with RA | Controls | P value |
| n=89 | n=80 | ||
| Anthropometric characteristics | |||
| BMI (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 28.2 (5.0) | 27.3 (4.9) | 0.266 |
| Waist circumference, (cm), mean (SD) | 90.8 (11.5) | 89.3 (11.3) | 0.419 |
| Hip circumference (cm), mean (SD) | 103.1 (7.3) | 100.5 (9.9) | 0.081 |
| Waist–Hip Index, mean (SD) | 0.88 (0.0) | 0.89 (0.0) | 0.517 |
| Body composition by DXA, mean (SD) | |||
| Total fat mass (kg), mean (SD) | 29.2 (9.7) | 28.5 (9.7) | 0.671 |
| FMI (kg of fat/m2), mean (SD) | 11.3 (4.0) | 11.1 (4.0) | 0.144 |
| Total lean mass (kg), mean (SD) | 40.8 (8.9) | 39.0 (8.6) | 0.197 |
| FFMI (kg of lean mass/m2), mean (SD) | 15.6 (2.4) | 15.0 (2.4) | 0.726 |
| Total mass (kg), mean (SD) | 71.8 (15.5) | 69.9 (14.4) | 0.415 |
| Android fat mass (kg), mean (SD) | 2.5 (1.1) | 2.4 (1.1) | 0.671 |
| Gynoid fat mass (kg), mean (SD) | 5.1 (1.6) | 5.0 (1.5) | 0.785 |
| Android lean mass (kg), mean (SD) | 2.9 (0.7) | 2.8 (0.7) | 0.433 |
| Gynoid lean mass (kg), mean (SD) | 5.8 (1.2) | 5.7 (1.2) | 0.639 |
| Metabolic characteristics | |||
| Total cholesterol, median (IQR) | 194.0 (170.5–223.6) | 209.0 (188.0–238.0) | 0.031 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 110.0 (95.9–137.5) | 133.0 (106.0–151.0) | 0.004 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 58.0 (51.0–66.0) | 59.0 (51.0–72.0) | 0.377 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 87.0 (69.0–131.0) | 90.0 (66.0–120.0) | 0.102 |
| LDL OX, median (IQR) | 2.6 (0.8–5.6) | 1.0 (0.3–2.8) | 0.114 |
| Baseline glycaemia (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 78.0 (73.0–84.5) | 80.0 (72.0–87.0) | 0.327 |
| Glycaemia after OGTT (mg/dL), mean (SD) | 110.0 (28.9) | 100.5 (26.6) | 0.03 |
| Insulinaemia (µU/mL), median (IQR) | 9.3 (6.0–12.4) | 8.6 (6.0. 12.6) | 0.904 |
| HOMA-IR, median (IQR) | 1.7 (1.02–2.3) | 1.7 (1.15–2.7) | 0.385 |
| HOMA-IR≥2.29, n (%) | 25 (28.1) | 24 (30.0) | 0.785 |
| HOMA-β, median (IQR) | 38.9 (22.7–53.3) | 34.4 (24.0–54.9) | 0.545 |
| QUICKI, median (IQR) | 0.4 (0.3–0.4) | 0.4 (0.3–0.4) | 0.211 |
| QUICKI≤0.33, n (%) | 25.0 (28.1) | 24.0 (30.0) | 0.785 |
| Inflammatory cytokines and adipokines | |||
| IL-6 (pg/mL), median (IQR) | 11.0 (5.4–19.0) | 4.31 (3.08–6.67) | <0.001 |
| IL-1ß (pg/mL), median (IQR) | 4.33 (4.2–4.5) | 2.74 (2.64–3.50) | <0.001 |
| TNF-α (pg/mL), median (IQR) | 5.8 (3.7–24.7) | 3.6 (3.0–4.7) | <0.001 |
| IGF-1 (pg/mL), median (IQR) | 172.8 (104.7–238.9) | 130.6 (49.8–252.47) | 0.079 |
| Adiponectin (ng/mL), median (IQR) | 11 399.5 (7771.1–14 971.5) | 8581.4 (6524.1–12 688.9) | 0.014 |
| Resistin (ng/mL), median (IQR) | 7.2 (5.5–9.3) | 7.4 (5.7–9.7) | 0.51 |
| Leptin (ng/mL), median (IQR) | 16.9 (9.1–36.9) | 22.2 (9.6–38.8) | 0.432 |
BMI, Body Mass Index; DXA, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; FFMI, Fat-Free Mass Index; FMI, Fat Mass Index; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; HOMA-β, homeostasis model assessment for β-cell function; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance; IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor-1; IL, interleukin; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; LDL-OX, oxidised low-density lipoprotein; OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test; QUICKI, Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; TNF-α, tumour necrosis factor alpha.