Association of adipokines, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-a concentrations with clinical characteristics and presence of spinal syndesmophytes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To identify correlations of the serum leptin, adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) concentrations with the clinical characteristics, presence of spinal syndesmophytes, and body composition in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: Forty-eight patients with AS were compared with 41 sex- and age-matched controls. Assessment included clinical characteristics and the presence of spinal syndesmophytes. The serum leptin, adiponectin, TNF-a, and IL-6 concentrations were determined. Body composition was evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results: Patients with AS and controls had similar fat mass and lean mass. Patients with AS had higher serum TNF-a and leptin concentrations than controls (52.3 vs. 1.5 pg/mL and 17.2 vs. 9.0 mg/mL, respectively). The IL-6 and adiponectin concentrations were not significantly different between the two groups. Patients with syndesmophytes had higher leptin concentrations than those without syndesmophytes (22.1 vs. 10.9 mg/mL); this difference remained after adjustment for the body mass index. Conclusion: Elevated leptin concentrations are associated with spinal radiographic damage in patients with AS and can serve as a biomarker. Future studies should evaluate whether leptin might be a potential target for treatments to avoid structural damage.