Cholesterol Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cholesterol, including details on high cholesterol, hdl, ldl, diet, risks.

Effects of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy on lipid profile in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Soubrier M, Jouanel P, Mathieu S, Poujol D, Claus D, Dubost JJ, Ristori JM

Service de Rhumatologie, Hôpital G. Montpied, Place Henri Dunant, BP 69, 63003 Clermont-Ferrand Cedex 1, France. msoubrier@chu-clermontferrand.fr

OBJECTIVES: Analyse the effects of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy on serum levels of lipid in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Twenty-nine patients (26 females, 3 males) with established RA undergoing anti-TNF therapy (n=12, adalimumab; n=11, infliximab; n=6, etanercept) were recruited. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), and apolipoproteins (apo b and apo a) were assessed at baseline and after 14 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The disease activity index score (DAS(28)) was 5.19+/-0.90 and decreased to 3.46+/-0.97 at 16 weeks (p<0.001). There was no change neither in the levels of TC (5.65+/-0.98mmol/l vs 5.78+/-1.06mmol/l; p=0.43), TG (1.40+/-0.79mmol/l vs 1.45+/-0.67mmol/l; p=0.59), HDL-C (1.92+/-0.49mmol/l vs 1.97+/-0.49mmol/l; p=0.36), apo a1 (1.92+/-0.28g/l vs 1.99+/-0.29g/l; p=0.06), and LDL-C (3.41+/-0.91mmol/l vs 3.47+/-0.96mmol/l; p=0.66), nor in apo b (1.126+/-0.302g/l vs 1.13+/-0.28g/l; p=0.89), atherogenic index (3.13+/-1.05 vs 3.09+/-0.89; p=0.69) or the apo b/apo a1 ratio (0.58+/-0.25 vs 0.56+/-0.22; p=0.33). CONCLUSION: The favourable effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy on cardiovascular morbidity is not related to effects on lipid metabolism.

Published 14 January 2008 in Joint Bone Spine, 75(1): 22-4.
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