The Most Common Causes of Comorbidity in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the synovial membrane of the joints and leads to progressive joint damage, disability and reduced quality of life. Notwithstanding the emergence of more advanced therapeutic strategies that have improved the duration of remission, rheumatoid arthritis is associated with high rates of comorbidities, infections, malignant neoplasms, and cardiovascular pathology. It is known that some existing pathogenic inflammatory mediators in rheumatoid arthritis, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor, may play a key role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Various preclinical and clinical studies have shown that biological therapy, which is widely used to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis, may be effective in treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In this context, it was proposed to study the involvement of adipocytokines. Adipocytokines are pleiotropic molecules that are primarily released from the white adipose tissue and immune cells. Adipocytokines modulate the function of various tissues and cells, and, in addition to energy homeostasis and metabolism, enhance the process of inflammation, the immune response and tissue damage. Adipocytokines can contribute to the pro-inflammatory condition in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the development of bone tissue damage. Moreover, they may be associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we considered the already known data on the role of adipocytokines in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, despite the fact that they are also actively involved in the pathogenesis of the cardiovascular diseases and are possible biomarkers for predicting the treatment outcomes, as well as in connection with their potential, as a possible new therapeutic target.