Interferon-γ Is Associated with Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Excerpt

To the Editor:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition resulting in excessive cardiovascular (CV) mortality, irrespective of classic CV risk factors¹. Population-based studies have highlighted the importance of inflammatory mediators within atherosclerotic plaques, suggesting that chronic inflammation acts independently or synergistically with other factors in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis^1,2. Vascular endothelial dysfunction (ED) precedes atherosclerosis and represents an early sign of vascular damage².

Prospective and cross-sectional studies have demonstrated higher ED in patients with RA than in healthy subjects^2,3, and that different antiinflammatory therapeutic strategies can dramatically improve endothelial function^4,5. However, a consistent finding is the persistence of…