ABSTRACT
Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the state of sPLA2-IIA and sICAM-1 in the plasma of RA patients and their possible role as risk factors for atherogenic susceptibility in those patients. Subjects and Twenty rheumatoid arthritis patients [group I] and 20 healthy controls of matched age and sex [group II] were subjected to estimation of ESR, CRP, plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C, secretory phospholipase A2 group II A [sPLA2-IIA] by ELISA method and soluble intra-cellular adhesion molecule-1 [sICAM-1] by ELISA method and plasma Lp[a] by turbidimetry method. The results revealed a significant increase of all of the bllowing in RA patients as compared to controls: 1] sPLA2-IIA [112.05 +/- 13.22 versus 14.06 +/- 2.04, P=0.000], 2] sICAM [332.05 +/- 13.64 versus 266.25 +/- 9.24, P=0.000], 3] Lp[a] [18.36 +/- 2.1 versus 11.46 +/- 0.8, P=0.0001]. A significant decrease of HDL in patients as compared to controls [47.3 +/- 4.6 versus 66.45 +/- 8.16, P=0.000] while no significant differences were found in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-C in patients when compared to controls. A correlation was found between CRP, as an inflammatory marker, and sPLA2-IIA, sICAM, Lp[a] and LDL-C in RA patients and a correlation was also found between LDL, as an atherogenic marker, and sPLA2-IIA, sICAM, and Lp[a]. Conclusions: sPLA2-IIA and sICAM may contribute to atherogenesis in RA patients. Further studies are needed in the future to settle whether they are early markers of atherogenesis or not. Further studies are also needed to detect the benefit of using anti-ICAM as a preventive measure against coronary atherosclerosis in RA patients