AUTOANTIBODIES AGAINST OXLDL, MDA-LDL AND CARDIOLIPIN IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

J. Trifunovic Cvetkovic , S. Wållberg-Jonsson , E. Ahmed , S. Rantapää-Dahlqvist , A. Lefvert Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Rheumatology, Medicine, Umeå, SwedenObjectives: To analyze the association of autoantibodies against cardiolipin (CL), oxidized Low Density Lipoproteins (oxLDL, MDA-LDL) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and cardiovascular complications.Methods: One hundred and twenty-one patients with RA were consecutively included. Autoantibodies were determined by ELISA. Healthy individuals from the same region were used as controlsResults: Levels of IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies against MDA-LDL and cardiolipin, as well as IgG and IgA antibodies against oxLDL were increased in the patients (p<0.01).The prevalence of IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies against CL was higher than in the normal population (74%, 82% and 14%, respectively). The prevalence of IgG and IgA antibodies against oxLDL was also significantly increased (35% and 25%, respectively) and so was the prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies against MDA-LDL (17% and 26%, respectively) compared to controls.The levels of IgM and IgA antibodies against aCL and IgM against MDA-LDL were increased in patients with extraarticular manifestations. Patients who developed MI had higher prevalence of IgG antibodies against MDA-LDL (p=0.04). There were substantial correlations between the levels of antibodies against oxLDL, MDA-LDL and CLConclusion: RA patients had increased levels and prevalence of autoantibodies against CL, oxLDL and MDA-LDL, with associations to severity of disease and cardiovascular complications.Citation: , volume , supplement , year 2002, page Session: Humoral aspects of autoimmune disease