PMID: 28502137May 16, 2017Paper

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

The Egyptian Journal of Immunology
Hanan OmarHamdy Omar

Abstract

Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are increasingly recognised complications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Angiopoietin 2 (Ang-2) levels have been associated with clinically overt CVD in general population; we assessed serum Ang-2 levels and its correlation with Echocardiographic abnormalities and carotid intima-media thickness in RA patients. 44 RA patients without clinically overt CVD and 44 healthy controls were assessed by questionnaire and clinical examination. Disease activity score (DAS-28) was calculated. Laboratory investigations included measurement of serum Ang-2, Rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (Anti-CCP), and C reactive protein (CRP). Doppler Echocardiography and Carotid ultrasonography were done to all patients and controls. Mean age of RA patients was 44.4±9.6 and about (86.4%) 38 were females. Mean levels of Ang-2 was higher in RA patients (17.591±13.9 ng/ml) as compared to controls (7.909 ±4.10 ng/ml) P<0.001 and was significantly elevated in RA patients with left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (23.53±7.75 ng/ml) than those without dysfunction (14.81±15.33ng/ml), P<0.05 and was significantly elevated in RA patients with carotid intima-media thickness (cITM) >0.6m...Continue Reading

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