Influence of anti-TNF-α infliximab therapy on adhesion molecules associated with atherogenesis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

• Published in: Clinical and experimental rheumatology Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 373 - 379
• Main Authors: GONZALEZ-GAY, M. A, GARCIA-UNZUETA, M. T, DE MATIAS, J. M, GONZALEZ-JUANATEY, C, GARCIA-PORRUA, C, SANCHEZ-ANDRADE, A, MARTIN, J, ILORCA, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pisa Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 01.07.2006
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Monoclonal - therapeutic use; Antirheumatic Agents - therapeutic use; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - drug therapy; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - physiopathology; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Atherosclerosis - metabolism; Atherosclerosis - prevention & control; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cell Adhesion Molecules - blood; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Immunomodulators; Inflammatory joint diseases; Infliximab; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Failure; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - antagonists & inhibitors; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Cardiovascular disease; Autoimmune disease; Inflammatory joint disease; Monoclonal antibody; Vascular disease; Infliximab; adhesion molecules; Anticytokine; Atherosclerosis; Endothelial dysfunction; Tumor necrosis factor α; Human; Immunopathology; Selectin; Cytokine; Rheumatology; Inflammation; Endothelium; Immunomodulator; Chronic; Treatment; Rheumatoid arthritis; sICAM-3 and sP-selectin; Immunosuppressive agent; anti-TNF-α antibody-infliximab
• ISSN: 0392-856X; 1593-098X

Chronic systemic inflammation plays a pivotal role in the development of atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Soluble (s) adhesion molecules were found significantly increased in RA patients with active disease. Since increased levels of some adhesion molecules were closely linked to the development of endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis and administration of anti-TNF-alpha-infliximab resulted in a rapid and dramatic improvement of endothelial function in long-term infliximab treated RA patients, we assessed whether infusion of the chimeric anti-TNF-alpha infliximab might also yield a rapid and favorable effect on serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules in RA patients periodically treated with this drug because of severe disease. We recruited patients with RA refractory to conventional therapy seen over a period of 2 months at Hospital Xeral-Calde, Lugo, Spain, who were on periodical treatment with infliximab for at least 14 weeks. Blood samples for determination of sICAM-1, sICAM-3, sVCAM-1, sE-selectin, and sP-selectin levels by ELISA were taken immediately before and after infliximab infusion. Thirty-four RA patients (25 women; mean age: 55.4 years; mean DAS28: 4.27) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Following infliximab infusion a reduction of the overall mean values of the five adhesion molecules was observed. However, when a Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used, only significant differences for sICAM-3 and sP-selectin were observed. In this regard, sICAM-3 and sP-selectin levels fell in 26 (77%) and 28 (82%) of the 34 patients. Our study confirms a rapid and beneficial effect of infliximab infusion on expression of some adhesion molecules in RA patients treated periodically with this anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody because of severe disease.