Serum Asprosin, Metabolic Syndrome, and Cardiometabolic Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Asprosin is a recently identified adipokine involved in glucose regulation, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation, but its role in the cardiometabolic complications of RA remains incompletely understood. The purpose of this case-control study is to evaluate and compare serum Asprosin levels among RA patients with metabolic syndrome, RA patients without metabolic syndrome, and healthy control individuals. The study will also assess the association between serum Asprosin concentrations, RA disease activity (DAS28-ESR), and various cardiometabolic risk indices (including TyG index, Atherogenic Index of Plasma, and Castelli risk indices). Participants will undergo a comprehensive clinical assessment, disease activity scoring, physical function evaluation using the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and laboratory investigations including fasting blood tests and serum Asprosin measurement via ELISA. Findings from this study may help clarify the pathophysiological role of Asprosin in RA and improve cardiometabolic risk stratification in affected patients.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adult patients aged 18 years or older. * Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis fulfilling the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria. * Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent. * Healthy controls: Age- and sex-matched individuals without rheumatoid arthritis or systemic inflammatory diseases. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of other autoimmune diseases or overlap syndromes. * Active acute or chronic infectious diseases. * Pregnancy or lactation. * Current malignancy or previous history of malignancy. * Severe hepatic or renal impairment. * Receipt of medications primarily prescribed for weight reduction or agents known to markedly alter lipid or glucose metabolism, other than standard rheumatoid arthritis therapy.