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Heat‐Shock Protein 65 Autoantibodies Are Differently Associated with Early Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis and in Healthy Subjects
Author(s) -
SHERER YANIV,
GERLI ROBERTO,
BOCCI ELENA BARTOLONI,
GILBURD BORIS,
VAUDO GAETANO,
BISTONI ONELIA,
SHOENFELD YEHUDA
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1422.042
Subject(s) - medicine , autoantibody , heat shock protein , rheumatoid arthritis , intima media thickness , carotid arteries , cardiology , common carotid artery , population , antibody , immunology , chemistry , environmental health , gene , biochemistry
: The aim of this study was to examine whether heat‐shock protein (HSP)‐65 autoantibodies are associated with early atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Intima‐media thickness (IMT) was measured in the carotid arteries of 100 RA patients and 69 control subjects. The IMT was evaluated on both carotid arteries in the common carotid, bifurcation, and internal arteries. Every patient underwent anti‐HSP‐65 antibody evaluation. Anti‐HSP‐65 antibodies were not more prevalent among patients compared with controls. Among controls, patients having “positive” anti‐HSP‐65 tended to have increased carotid artery IMT compared with “negative” patients, whereas among RA patients the opposite association was noted, and positive patients had significantly decreased carotid bifurcation IMT than negative patients without elevated levels of anti‐HSP‐65. As opposed to the association with cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis of anti‐HSPs in the general population, among RA patients anti‐HSP‐65 cannot be regarded as associated with early atherosclerosis.