Clinical Focus ›› 2025, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (2): 138-142.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-583X.2025.02.007

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Clinical value of serum DKK-1 detection in carotid intima-media thickening in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Zhan Yaping, Zhang Ke, Li Wengen, He Chunmei, Yang Dashan()   

  1. Department of Rheumatology; b.Department of Plastic Surgery, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou 514031, China
  • Received:2024-09-04 Online:2025-02-20 Published:2025-03-05
  • Contact: Yang Dashan E-mail:defence007@126.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the clinical value of serum Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK-1) in the carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods A total of 82 patients diagnosed with RA in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Meizhou People's Hospital from December 2022 to January 2024 were included. According to cIMT, patients were divided into cIMT thickening group (n=29) and cIMT normal group (n=53). The clinical data of the two groups were compared, and the risk factors of cIMT thickening in RA patients were explored by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Finally, the clinical data of RA patients with cIMT thickening and normal cIMT were compared under different disease activity. Results There were significant differences in age, sex, history of cerebrovascular disease, total cholesterol and serum DKK-1 levels between groups (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum DKK-1 level, male and advanced age were independent risk factors for cIMT thickening in RA patients (P<0.05). The results of subgroup analysis prompted that there was no significant difference in gender, age, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, course of disease, rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, interleukin-6, and serum DKK-1 levels between cIMT thickening and cIMT normal patients in RA patients with low disease activity (P>0.05). In RA patients with moderate disease activity, the level of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody was significantly higher in the cIMT thickening group than the cIMT normal group (P<0.05). In RA patients with high disease activity, there were significant differences in age, course of disease and serum DKK-1 level between cIMT thickening and cIMT normal groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Serum DKK-1 level is an independent risk factor for cIMT thickening in RA patients, which may play a clinical predictive role in early atherosclerosis of RA.

Key words: arthritis, rheumatoid, Dickkopf-related protein 1, carotid intima-media thickness, atherosclerosis

CLC Number: