14-3-3ri protein is associated with disease activity and osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction: This study was designed to explore the potential association of serum 14-3-3ri protein level with disease activity and bone mineral density (BMD) in Egyptian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients were recruited from the outpatient clinic at Mansoura Uni-versity Hospital. Material and methods: One hundred eighty-eight patients with RA and 192 matched controls were enrolled. The rheumatoid arthritis activity parameters were evaluated in RA patients. Bone mineral density was measured. Serum levels of 14-3-3ri protein and IL-6 were estimated for all participants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Results: Rheumatoid arthritis patients had a significantly higher median serum 14-3-3ri protein level compared to matched controls (p & LE; 0.05). Serum level of 14-3-3ri protein was significantly correlated with DAS28-ESR (p & LE; 0.05) and serum IL-6 level (p & LE; 0.05). The rheumatoid arthritis-osteoporosis group had significantly higher serum 14-3-3ri protein than the RA-osteopenia group and RA-control group. Similarly, the difference of the serum 14-3-3ri protein between the RA-osteopenia group and the RA-control group was significant. In the linear regression analysis, the strongest factors that were associated with BMD in RA patients were the serum level of 14-3-3ri protein (p & LE; 0.05), IL-6 (p & LE; 0.05) and DAS28-ESR (p & LE; 0.05). Conclusions: Serum level of 14-3-3ri protein was significantly elevated in RA patients compared to controls and is significantly correlated with parameters of activity disease. The RA-osteoporosis group had significantly higher serum 14-3-3ri protein than the RA-osteopenia group and RA-control group. Serum 14-3-3ri protein can be a promising biomarker to reflect RA activity and predict pres-ence of osteoporosis in RA patients.