Abstract: Objectives: To assess the potential association between LEP rs2167270 (19 G>A) gene polymorphism and disease susceptibility and cardiovascular disease (CV) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: 773 patients fulfilling the 1987 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for RA, seen at the rheumatology outpatient clinics of Hospital Xeral-Calde, Lugo, and Hospital San Carlos, Madrid, Spain, and 957 matched controls, were studied. Patients were genotyped for the LEP rs2167270 (19G>A) polymorphism, located within the 5´UTR, using predesigned TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assay. Also, HLA-DRB1 genotyping was performed using molecular based methods. Subclinical atherosclerosis was assessed in a subgroup of patients with no history of CV events by brachial artery reactivity to determine flow-mediated endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilatation (n=133) and by B-mode ultrasonography of the carotid artery intima-media thickness (n=113). Results: No statistically significant differences in the genotype or allele frequencies of the LEP rs2167270 gene polymorphism between patients with RA and controls were seen. Likewise, LEP rs2167270 polymorphism did not influence the development of CV events. Also, no significant differences in LEP rs2167270 genotype or allele distribution were seen when results of surrogate markers of subclinical atherosclerosis were assessed. Conclusions: LEP rs2167270 polymorphism does not seem to be a genetic risk factor for disease susceptibility or clinically evident CV disease and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA.

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