Circulating Interleukin 17A and Other Inflammatory Proteins May Predict Cardiovascular Disease in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Circulating IL-17A at RA diagnosis predicted future CVD, although we cannot exclude the possibility that this finding is due to multiple testing. The association was independent of traditional CVD risk factors, and of ESR at the time of diagnosis. Further, OPG may be a predictor of CVD. We also identified some novel potential biomarkers for CVD in RA.