RESUMO
To examine whether levels of anti-endothelial cell antibodies [AECA], soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 [sVCAM-1 and E-selectin were elevated in rheumatoid arthritis [RA] patients complicated with peripheral neuropathy [PN] as compared to RA patients without neuropathy and healthy controls. Also, to correlate these criteria with the parameters of disease activity. Levels of AECA, sVCAM-1 and E-selectin were determined with ELISA in 30 RA patients with PN, 30 RA patients without neuropathy and 25 healthy controls. RA patients with PN had significantly higher levels of AECA, sVCAM-1 and E-selectin than RA patients without neuropathy and healthy controls. Those three markers significantly correlated with the clinical and laboratory parameters of disease activity. Serum levels of AECA, sVCAM-1 and E-selectin proved to be higher in RA patients with PN than in RA patients without neuropathy. This reflects increased endothelial cell activation in RA patients complicated with neuropathy