Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related autoantibodies are associated with subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis in African American women from a community-based non-RA cohort, indicating immune factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, according to a recent study. Researchers measured rheumatoid factor (RF), anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP2), and coronary artery calcium (CAC) at the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) baseline in 6,532 participants. Subjects were followed for 10.3 years for coronary heart disease (CHD) endpoints (myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, CHD death) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) endpoints (including CHD endpoints, stroke, stroke death). They found:

• IgM RF, IgA RF, anti-CCP, and either RF isotype predictors were positive in 15.8%, 8.7%, 2.0%, and 20.6%, respectively.

• 12.2% had CAC ≥300; 7.1% had CHD endpoints; 10.2% had CVD endpoints.

• IgA RF and anti-CCP were associated with CAC ≥300 in African American women.

• A-related autoantibodies were also associated with clinical CVD events in African American women.

• There was a trend for association between autoantibodies and CAC in Caucasian women.

• No associations were found in men.

Citation: Majka DS, Vu TT, Pope RM, et al. Rheumatoid factors are associated with subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis in African American women: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). [Published online ahead of print May 9, 2016]. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). doi:10.1002/acr.22930.