Vitamin D Status in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Inflammation,Arterial Stiffness and Circulating Progenitor Cell Number |
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Authors: | Alberto Lo Gullo Giuseppe Mandraffino Gianluca Bagnato Caterina Oriana Aragona Egidio Imbalzano Angela D’Ascola Francesco Rotondo Antonella Cinquegrani Enricomaria Mormina Carlo Saitta Antonio Giovanni Versace Maria Adriana Sardo Renato Lo Gullo Saverio Loddo Antonino Saitta |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.; 2. Department of Biochemical, Physiological and Nutritional Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.; 3. Department of General Surgery and Oncology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.; 4. Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphologic and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.; University Hospital Medical Centre, GERMANY, |
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Abstract: | Background and AimsSuboptimal vitamin D status was recently acknowledged as an independent predictor of cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality in several clinical settings, and its serum levels are commonly reduced in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Patients affected by RA present accelerated atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality with respect to the general population. In RA, it has been reported an impairment of the number and the activity of circulating proangiogenic haematopoietic cells (PHCs), including CD34+, that may play a role in endothelial homeostasis. The purpose of the study is to investigate the association between vitamin D levels and PHCs, inflammatory markers, and arterial stiffening in patients with RA.Methods and ResultsCD34+ cells were isolated from 27 RA patients and 41 controls. Vitamin D levels, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) were also evaluated. CD34+ count and vitamin D levels were lower in RA patients as compared to controls, while fibrinogen, CRP, PWV and cIMT were higher in RA patients. CD34+ cell number appeared to be associated with vitamin D levels, and negatively correlated to fibrinogen and early atherosclerosis markers (PWV and cIMT); vitamin D levels appear also to be inversely associated to fibrinogen.ConclusionsRA patients with moderate disease activity presented with low vitamin D levels, low CD34+ cell count, increased PWV and cIMT; we found that vitamin D deficiency is associated to CD34+ cell reduction in peripheral blood, and with fibrinogen levels. This suggests that vitamin D might contribute to endothelial homeostasis in patients with RA. |
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