Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic immune-mediated infamatory disease with an advanced degree of cardiovascular morbidity, where chronic inflammation contributes to advanced atherogenesis. Measurement of intima/media thickness (IMT) in the carotid artery is a sensitive and accessible method for determining atherosclerotic damage.

Objectives: The aim was to determine the IMT thickness in the carotid artery in patients with RA and its correlation with changes in lipid and immunological status.

Methods: We examined 79 women with RA, diagnosed using ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria and 87 women without RA, as a control group, compatible by age and exclusion criteria. Anamnestic and clinical data were collected according to the questionnaire developed for the study, which included the history of the disease, life, objective data. Patients with type 2 diabetes, oncological pathology, other inflammatory, decompensated somatic diseases, pregnant women, treated with statins or biological preparations were excluded. DAS-28-CRP, rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP antibodies, IL-6, CD4+, CD8+ levels and carotid artery IMT index were evaluated. IMT was measured at a.carotis communis (ACC) at an angle as close as possible to 90°, at a distance of at least 5 mm from the distal ACC portion, on a segment without atherosclerotic plaque at least 10 mm on the posterior wall. Received data were analysed statistically.

Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 58.12±5.43 years with a mean disease duration of 10.8±3.4 years. 78% of the patients underwent treatment with glucocorticosteroids. Significant differences were identified compared to the control group for the mean IMT value (0.97±0.13 mm vs 0.85±0.09 mm, p<0.05), the number of T-helper lymphocytes (CD4) (1.68±0.6 vs 0.78±0.3, p<0.05) and the number of T-cytotoxic lymphocytes (CD8) (0.32±0.28). In patients with RA, we attested higher levels of total cholesterol (CholT) and triglycerides (p<0.05), associated with a decrease in HDL-cholesterol levels. Determination of the atherogenic coefficient demonstrated higher values in RA (7.96±0.6 vs 5.3±0.4; p<0.001). CholT and IL-6 levels showed a strong negative correlation (r=-0.59, p<0.001). A positive correlation of HDL-cholesterol with RA duration was found (r=0.33, p<0.05). Increased carotid artery IMT correlated with RA duration (r=0.48, p<0.001), disease activity measured by DAS28-CRP (r=0.52, p<0.001), menopause duration (r=0.37, p<0.05), age (r=0.33, p<0.05), anti-CCP antibody levels (r=0.31, p<0.05), CRP (r=0.29, p<0.05) and CD4/CD8 ratio (r=0.42, p<0.001).

Conclusion: In women with RA, a significant increase in carotid artery IMT was found, which correlated with disease duration and activity, menopause duration, CD4/CD8 ratio and the presence of anti-CCP antibodies. Total cholesterol and triglyceride values were significantly lower in active disease with longer duration, and HDL-cholesterol showed a slight positive correlation with AR duration. Inclusion of IMT the list of investigations of RA patient for early diagnosis of aterosclerotic modifications could be considered.

REFERENCES: NIL.

Acknowledgements: NIL.

Disclosure of Interests: Deseatnicova Elena Berlin-Chemie Menarini, Lucia Andries: None declared, Nicolae Ciobanu: None declared, Russu Eugeniu: None declared, Nistor Alesea: None declared, Mirela Curchi: None declared, Liliana Groppa: None declared.

© The Authors 2025. This abstract is an open access article published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ). Neither EULAR nor the publisher make any representation as to the accuracy of the content. The authors are solely responsible for the content in their abstract including accuracy of the facts, statements, results, conclusion, citing resources etc.