Lack of effect of TNFalpha blockade therapy on circulating adiponectin levels in patients with autoimmune disease: results from two independent prospective studies.

Mike J L Peters, Pauline Watt, Lynne Cherry, Paul Welsh, Eric Henninger, Ben A C Dijkmans, Iain B McInnes, Michael T Nurmohamed, Naveed Sattar

Journal: Annals of the rheumatic diseases 2010;69(9):1687-90

PMID: 19640853

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Adiponectin is an anti-inflammatory and potentially antiatherogenic molecule. Some recent reports suggest that tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) blockade therapy increases circulating adiponectin levels, but data are sparse and inconsistent.

METHODS

Data from a double-blind placebo controlled study of onercept in 126 patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and from pre- and post-adalimumab treatment in 171 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were used to examine the effect of TNFalpha blockade therapy on adiponectin.

RESULTS

Despite expected associations of adiponectin with gender and baseline high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride, adiponectin levels did not change over time with TNFalpha blockade therapy in either group. The mean+/-SD absolute change in adiponectin levels was -0.23+/-4.6 microg/ml in patients with PsA treated with combined onercept 50 mg and onercept 100 mg (vs placebo, p=0.60) and 0.28+/-3.23 microg/ml in patients with RA treated with adalimumab (vs baseline, p=0.66).

CONCLUSION

These results do not support a significant effect of TNFalpha blockade therapy on circulating adiponectin levels in patients with autoimmune disease.

Address: Department of Rheumatology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. [email protected]

DOI: 10.1136/ard.2009.114207