A study led by the URV reveals the potential of some glycoproteins to understand the chronic inflammation associated with the disease and its impact on cardiovascular risk
A research team from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and the Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (IISPV) has identified a series of proteins and molecules that could be key to improve the prognosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, especially regarding its relationship with the risk of cardiovascular disease. The results of the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, open the door to new ways of controlling this disease and preventing associated cardiac problems.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, autoimmune, inflammatory disease that affects approximately 1% of the world’s population, mainly women. It not only damages the joints but can also have consequences in other parts of the body. One of the risks most associated with the disease is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks and strokes. This relationship occurs because the inflammation caused by the disease also affects other parts of the body, including the circulatory system. For this reason, identifying molecules that can measure and control the inflammatory activity of this pathology is key to improving the health of patients, as it will help to predict and prevent future cardiovascular accidents.
To conduct the study, the research team analyzed blood samples from 219 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 82 with other metabolic disorders and 64 healthy people. The aim was to look for biomarkers of inflammation, or which is the same, molecules that can measure the level of inflammation and assess the risk of developing associated diseases. The research focused on two aspects: on the one hand, proteins called glycoproteins, specifically glycoproteins A, B and F, and on the other, microRNAs, small molecules that negatively regulate gene activity by repressing their expression.
As for glycoproteins, the study showed that people with rheumatoid arthritis have higher levels of glycoproteins A and B compared to healthy people. This makes these proteins potential biomarkers of inflammation, as their increase is related to the severity of the disease. “When performing a blood test on patients with rheumatoid arthritis, analyzing these two proteins may allow us to determine, more precisely, the degree of inflammation in the patient. This can help to take measures about the control the disease, including adjustments in treatment and a more exhaustive follow-up of the patient,” says Dídac Llop, first author of the study, which was led by Joan Carles Vallvé and Josep Ribalta, researchers at the URV’s Department of Medicine and Surgery. This same test could also be used to predict possible future cardiovascular accidents, since it has been shown that less controlled patients (with high levels of inflammation) are more likely to suffer them.
On the other hand, this research has detected the importance of microRNAs, molecules that act as “switches” that regulate which genes are activated and which are not. The research team has discovered that when the level of some of these microRNAs is low, glycoproteins A and B increase, identifying them as possible regulators of this inflammatory process. This data is relevant, since these microRNAs could become therapeutic targets, or, in other words, the point where a future drug should act to combat the disease.
Research has also shown that the association between glycosylated proteins and microRNAs is stronger in women than in men with rheumatoid arthritis. This could indicate that female patients have a different response to men, possibly influenced by hormonal factors.
Researchers from the Lipid and Arteriosclerosis Research Unit of the URV and the IISPV, which is part of the CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), have participated in the research.
Bibliographic reference:
Llop, D., Paredes, S., Rosales, R. et al. Comprehensive analysis of glycoprotein profiles and their association with cardiovascular disease-related microRNAs in rheumatoid arthritis, metabolic disorders, and controls. Sci Rep 14, 26471 (2024). DOI: doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-77772-1. PMID: 39488576; PMCID: PMC11531556.
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