Asymmetric dimethylarginine in patients with rheumatological diseases: a non-classical cardiovascular risk factor?

Background. An increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatological pathology is of great scientific interest in the modern cardiological and rheumatological community.

Objective. The aim of the study was to determine the level of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in patients with various rheumatological pathologies, as well as to compare the data with ADMA levels in subjects with asymptomatic atherosclerosis and the group of healthy individuals.

Design and methods. The study involved 3 groups of patients. The first group included patients with various rheumatic diseases (RH): rheumatoid arthritis, systemic scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren’s disease. The second group consisted of patients with cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis (confirmed by the thickening of the intima-media complex more than 0,9 cm and/or the presence of atherosclerotic plaques). These patients had neither history of acute myocardial infarction or acute cerebrovascular accident, nor clinical signs of coronary heart disease. The third group consisted of healthy blood donors.

Results. Our study showed that ADMA level was significantly higher in the RE group than in the control and comparison groups, and was also interrelated with the main traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

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