The Relationship Between Lipid Profile and Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an excess mortality from
cardiovascular disease(CVD) and this may be related to an atherogenic lipid profile.
This study was designed to identify whether there was a correlation between disease
activity and levels of different lipid fractions in early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA)
before used any treatment.
Thirty fife of ERA patients who met in Al-Sader medical city were included in
the study compared results with Forty fife apparently healthy individuals. In the
present study significant relationship exists between reduced high density lipoprotein
–cholesterol (HDLC) and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) p value was (<0.0001)
and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) p value was (<0.005).Raised of
total cholesterol (TC) was associated with raised of both ESR and CRP (<0.0001),
(<0.0005) respectively. A significant relationship is demonstrated between elevated
ESR and CRP with raised low density lipoprotein –cholesterol (LDLC) (p<0.0001)
and (p<0.05) respectively. Non significant correlation of ESR with raised triglycerides
(TG) but significant correlation between CRP and serum TG.
Key words: early rheumatoid arthritis , lipid profile, inflammatory markers.