Abstract
Purpose: The aim of the present study was to determine the levels of visfatin, adiponectin, leptin and ghrelin in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to find whether they have the potential to act as proinflammatory mediators and to correlate them with disease activity.
Material and Methods: This study included 30 female patients divided into two groups: patients with inactive rheumatoid arthritis (group I) and patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (group II). In addition 15 healthy females of similar age were used as controls. Fasting plasma visfatin, adiponectin, leptin and ghrelin were determined with ELISA kits.
Results: Rheumatoid arthritis patients had significantly higher plasma visfatin, adiponectin, leptin levels than controls with more significant increase in group II than I. Ghrelin was significantly decreased in rheumatoid arthritis patients (group I and II) than controls with no significant difference between the two groups of patients. Disease activity score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were significantly positively correlated with plasma visfatin and adiponectin but not with either leptin or ghrelin.
Conclusion: The present study suggested a relevant role of visfatin, adiponectin and leptin, as proinflammatory mediators in rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, approaches that reduce adipose tissue depots may reduce the severity of their resultant pathologies. Furthermore, this study has shown that the blood levels of proinflammatory mediators are different. Additionally, "Grelin" as well as being a growth hormone releasing factor is also a leptin antagonist. Therefore ghrelin-substitutive therapy should be revised and softened as; can be considered in control of leptin regulation.