Serum leptin, a potential predictor of long‐term angiographic progression in Takayasu’s arteritis

Abstract

Aim:In patients with Takayasu's arteritis (TA), current biomarkers that properly reflect the progression of the vascular structure remain absent. We aimed to determine the serum leptin level to investigate its relationship with imaging changes and assess its value as a predictor for long-term radiological progression. Method:This study included 34 untreated TA patients and 40 age-matched healthy controls. At baseline and during the 5-year follow-up, we assessed disease activity using Kerr's criteria and Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score (ITAS2010) and monitored laboratory biomarkers as well as imaging findings. Serum leptin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results:The baseline serum leptin levels were significantly higher in TA patients than in healthy controls. Leptin was significantly positively correlated with triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and negatively correlated with fibrinogen and C-reactive protein levels. Patients were subdivided into three groups based on their baseline leptin level. During a 5-year follow-up, patients in the high and medium leptin groups showed more radiological progression compared to those in the low leptin group. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that a high serum leptin level was a positive predictor of radiological progression. Conclusion:Leptin is a potential biomarker for assessing TA structural progression.Untreated patients with elevated serum leptin levels are at a higher risk of progression in the aorta. Thus, the leptin level can be a predictor of long-term radiological progression. K E Y W O R D S disease progression, leptin, radiography, Takayasu's arteritis | 2135 MA et Al.

Outcome Measures and Biomarkers for Disease Assessment in Takayasu Arteritis

“…Higher baseline levels of serum leptin, a pro-inflammatory adipokine, were associated with progression on serial angiography in a cohort of 34 TAK patients followed up over five years. Those with the highest tertile of baseline leptin levels had a significantly increased hazard of angiographic progression when compared with the lowest tertile (hazard ratio 12.68, 95% CI 1.06–152.44) after adjustment for age of disease onset, duration of disease, and baseline disease activity assessed using the NIH score [ 140 ].…”

Perivascular adipose tissue in autoimmune rheumatic diseases

“…Interestingly, aberrant adipokine levels have also been reported in TAK, manifested by excessive secretion of leptin and visfatin and reduced APN [ 173 – 176 ]. Leptin level may in particular be a strong predictor of long-term progression of TAK arteritis [ 177 ]. Recently, arterial inflammation and atherosclerosis in TAK were assessed by quantifying PCAT and periaortic adipose tissue (PAAT) density on CCTA [ 178 ].…”

Using the co-expression network of T cell-activation-related genes to assess the disease activity in Takayasu’s arteritis patients

“…In addition, there are other potential blood biomarkers for monitoring the progress of TAK [ 4 ], such as pentraxin-3 [ 5 ], YKL-40 [ 6 ], MMP-9 [ 7 ], MMP-3 [ 8 ], leptin [ 9 ], and serum amyloid A [ 9 ]. However, the diagnostic efficacies of these biomarkers have not been clinically validated.…”