Pretreatment resistin levels are associated with erosive disease in early rheumatoid arthritis treated with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and infliximab

Figures & data

Figure 1. Resistin was associated with disease activity. The Disease Activity Score based on 28-joint count (DAS28) was used to assess disease activity. Resistin was measured in plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. (A) Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD)-naïve rheumatoid arthritis patients were divided into tertiles based on their plasma resistin levels at baseline [I, resistin < 15 ng/mL (n = 28); II, 15–20 ng/mL (n = 31); III, > 20 ng/mL (n = 31)]. Results are expressed as mean with bias-corrected bootstrapping 95% confidence interval. Statistical comparison among the groups was performed using the bootstrap-type analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), taking gender and body mass index as covariates. (B) Scatterplot showing correlation between DAS28 and resistin. RF, rheumatoid factor.

Figure 2. Resistin levels decreased during treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) combination therapy, but no further reduction was seen when infliximab was added. (A) Resistin levels were analysed in tertiles based on the plasma resistin levels at baseline [I, resistin < 15 ng/mL (n = 28); II, 15–20 ng/mL (n = 31); III, > 20 ng/mL (n = 31)]. (B) Mean change in resistin levels from baseline. (A, B) Patients were treated with combination DMARD therapy, and placebo or infliximab infusions were given at weeks 4, 6, 10, 18, and 26. Results are expressed as mean with bias-corrected bootstrapping 95% confidence interval. Repeated measures were analysed using bootstrap-type generalizing estimating equation models with the unstructured correlation structure, and were adjusted for baseline rheumatoid factor, Disease Activity Score based on 28-joint count, and Sharp–van der Heijde total score. FIN-RACo, Finnish Rheumatoid Arthritis Combination Therapy.

Figure 3. (A) High resistin levels at baseline predicted radiologically more rapidly progressing disease in patients treated with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) combination therapy and placebo infusions; (B) adding infliximab overcame the poor predictive value of high resistin. (A, B) Radiological disease progression was analysed in resistin tertiles based on their plasma resistin levels at baseline [I, resistin < 15 ng/mL; II, 15–20 ng/mL; III, > 20 ng/mL (n values for each group are given in the figure)]. Radiological disease progression during the 5 year follow-up was measured by the difference in Sharp–van der Heijde total score. Results are expressed as mean with bias-corrected bootstrapping 95% confidence interval. Statistical comparison among the groups was performed using the bootstrap-type analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), taking gender and body mass index as covariates. FIN-RACo, Finnish Rheumatoid Arthritis Combination Therapy.