To study relationships between endothelial activation parameters and inflammatory activity markers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Fifty-three RA patients aged 19 to 62 years were examined. A control group comprised 28 apparently healthy individuals. The markers of endothelial activation, the parameters of RA activity, and their relationship were studied.
There was an elevation in the level of interleukin-8 (IL-8) to 413 (295; 547) pg/ml as compared to the control group 208 (207; 212) pg/ml. In the RA group, the concentration of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) increased up to 1929 (1297.6; 2739.6) ng/ml whereas in the control group it was 750 (734; 762) ng/ml (p < 0.001). In the patients with RA, the concentration of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWFAg) reached 1.4 (0.8; 1.9) IU/ml; in the control group, it was 0.6 (0.3; 0.8) IU/ml. In the RA group, the level of desquamated endotheliocytes (DE) was higher than that in the control group. Positive correlations were found between the markers of vascular endothelial activation and those of inflammation. There was a positive correlation between C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), sVCAM-1, and DE. Significant positive correlations were observed between DAS28 and the inflammatory markers RF and CRP (R = 0.66; p < 0.05 and R = 0.4; p < 0.05) and the endothelial activation markers sVCAM-1 and vWFAg (R = 0.8; p < 0.05 and R = 0.3; p < 0.05, respectively).
The patients with RA had elevated IL-8, sVCAM-1, and vWFAg levels. Enhanced RA activity resulted in endothelial damage.