PCSK9/LDLR System and Rheumatoid Arthritis-Related Atherosclerosis

Aikaterini Arida; Aigli-Ioanna Legaki; Evrydiki Kravvariti; Athanasios Protogerou; Petros P Sfikakis; Antonios Chatzigeorgiou

doi:10.3389/fcvm.2021.738764

PCSK9/LDLR System and Rheumatoid Arthritis-Related Atherosclerosis

Front Cardiovasc Med. 2021 Oct 8:8:738764. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.738764. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Aikaterini Arida¹, Aigli-Ioanna Legaki², Evrydiki Kravvariti¹, Athanasios Protogerou³, Petros P Sfikakis¹, Antonios Chatzigeorgiou^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece.
² Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
³ Cardiovascular Prevention and Research Unit, Department of Pathophysiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
⁴ Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.

Abstract

Background/Aims: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with the emergence of cardiovascular disease, while chronic inflammation is considered a common denominator for their parallel progression. The Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9)/LDL-Receptor (LDLR) system is of high importance during atherogenesis, via regulating the clearance of LDL from the circulation; nevertheless the role of this molecular mechanism during RA-related atheromatosis is not known. Methods: Herein, high-resolution ultrasound measurements for arterial hypertrophy, atheromatosis and arterial stiffness as well as comprehensive biochemical profiling were performed in 85 RA patients. The circulating levels of PCSK9 and LDLR were measured and their potential associations as well as of the PCSK9/LDLR ratio with patients' characteristics and the degree of atherosclerosis were investigated. Results: Increased LDLR levels and decreased PCSK9/LDLR ratio were found in RA patients with at least 2 atheromatic plaques as compared to the ones without any plaques. In addition the levels of both PCSK9 and LDLR were positively correlated with the presence of atheromatic plaques as an age- and gender- adjusted multivariate analysis revealed. Conclusions: Our data imply that the PCSK9/LDLR system plays a significant role during RA-related atherosclerosis and may therefore be used as a screening tool for disease progression in the future.

Keywords: LDLR; PCSK9; cardiovascular disease; inflammation; rheumatoid arthritis.