Utility of a novel inflammatory marker, GlycA, for assessment of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and coronary atherosclerosis

GlycA is a novel inflammatory biomarker measured using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Its NMR signal primarily represents glycosylated acute phase proteins. GlycA was associated with inflammation and development of cardiovascular disease in initially healthy women. We hypothesized that GlycA is a biomarker of disease activity and is associated with coronary artery atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We conducted a cross-sectional study of 166 patients with RA and 90 control subjects. GlycA was measured from an NMR signal originating from N-acetylglucosamine residues... Mehr ...