The relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and epicardial fat thickness, and serum levels of chemerin, adropin, and betatrophin.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are highly prevalent among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Epicardial adipose tissue, serum betatrophin, chemerin, and adropin levels are factors associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular involvement.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between RA and epicardial fat thickness (EFT), as well as serum betatrophin, chemerin and adropin levels.

Material and methods: This cross-sectional study included 80 patients (62 women and 18 men) diagnosed with RA according to the American College of Rheumatology/The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (ACR/EULAR) 2010 RA classification criteria and 80 healthy controls (64 women and 16 men). Exclusion criteria comprised other autoimmune diseases, CVDs, diabetes mellitus, other endocrine disorders, acute or chronic pancreatic disorders, malignancy, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or antihyperlipidemic drug usage. Serum betatrophin, chemerin and adropin concentrations were measured. Epicardial fat thickness was evaluated with transthoracic echocardiography.

Results: Adropin levels were significantly lower in the RA group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Chemerin levels and EFT were significantly higher in the RA group than in the control group (p = 0.016, p < 0.001, respectively). When assessing the relationship between biomarkers and EFT in RA patients, a strong positive correlation was observed between chemerin and EFT (r = 0.73, p = 0.046) in patients with high disease activity.

Conclusions: Epicardial fat thickness, as an indicator of cardiovascular involvement, is higher in patients with RA. Moreover, high chemerin levels and low adropin levels in these patients may be indicative of cardiovascular involvement.