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. 2021 Apr 13;23(1):111.
doi: 10.1186/s13075-021-02499-7.

Vaspin in atherosclerotic disease and cardiovascular risk in axial spondyloarthritis: a genetic and serological study

Javier Rueda-Gotor #  1 , Raquel López-Mejías #  1 , Sara Remuzgo-Martínez #  1 , Verónica Pulito-Cueto  1 , Alfonso Corrales  1 , Leticia Lera-Gómez  1 , Virginia Portilla  1 , Íñigo González-Mazón  1 , Ricardo Blanco  1 , Rosa Expósito  2 , Cristina Mata  2 , Javier Llorca  3 , Vanesa Hernández-Hernández  4 , Carlos Rodríguez-Lozano  5 , Nuria Barbarroja  6 , Rafaela Ortega Castro  6 , Esther Vicente  7 , Cristina Fernández-Carballido  8 , María Paz Martínez-Vidal  9 , David Castro-Corredor  10 , Joaquín Anino-Fernández  10 , Diana Peiteado  11 , Chamaida Plasencia-Rodríguez  11 , Eva Galíndez-Agirregoikoa  12 , María Luz García-Vivar  12 , Oreste Gualillo  13 , Juan Carlos Quevedo-Abeledo  5 , Santos Castañeda  7 , Iván Ferraz-Amaro  4 , Miguel Á González-Gay #  14   15   16 , Fernanda Genre #  17
Affiliations

Vaspin in atherosclerotic disease and cardiovascular risk in axial spondyloarthritis: a genetic and serological study

Javier Rueda-Gotor et al. Arthritis Res Ther. .

Abstract

Background: Vaspin is a novel anti-inflammatory adipokine associated with cardiovascular (CV) disease and inflammation in chronic inflammatory conditions different from axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Given the high incidence of CV disease (mainly due to accelerated atherosclerosis) exhibited by axSpA patients, we wondered if vaspin could also be a key molecule in this process. However, data on the role of vaspin regarding atherosclerotic disease in the context of axSpA is scarce. For this reason, we aimed to evaluate the implication of vaspin, at the genetic and serological level, in subclinical atherosclerosis and CV risk in axSpA.

Methods: This study included 510 patients diagnosed with axSpA. Carotid ultrasound (US) was performed to evaluate the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis. Three vaspin gene variants (rs2236242, rs7159023, and rs35262691) were genotyped by TaqMan probes. Serum vaspin levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA® v.11.1.

Results: Serum vaspin levels were significantly higher in female patients than in males and also in obese patients when compared to those with normal weight (p < 0.05). At the genetic level, we disclosed that the minor allele of rs2236242 (A) was associated with lower serum vaspin levels in axSpA, while the rs7159023 minor allele (A) was linked to higher serum levels (p < 0.05). When the three polymorphisms assessed were combined conforming haplotypes, we disclosed that the TGC haplotype related to high serum levels of vaspin (p = 0.01). However, no statistically significant association was observed between vaspin and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis, both at the genetic and serological level.

Conclusions: Our results revealed that vaspin is linked to CV risk factors that may influence on the atherosclerotic process in axSpA. Additionally, we disclosed that serum vaspin concentration is genetically modulated in a large cohort of patients with axSpA.

Keywords: Axial spondyloarthritis; Biomarker; Cardiovascular risk; Polymorphism; Subclinical atherosclerosis; Vaspin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Scatter plot of log transformed serum vaspin levels in male and female axSpA patients. Vaspin levels were log transformed for statistical analysis, given that they were not normally distributed. Individual data points are shown, with means of each group indicated by horizontal lines
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Scatter plot of log transformed serum vaspin levels in axSpA patients according to their obesity status: a in the whole cohort and b stratified by sex. Vaspin levels were log transformed for statistical analysis, given that they were not normally distributed. Individual data points are shown, with means of each group indicated by horizontal lines
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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