Abstract
Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease associated with endothelial dysfunction (ED) and vascular morbidity. The study aimed to use ultrasound to assess the relationships of lp13.3 genomic region-rs646776 polymorphism with ED and subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with RA from the Suez Canal region in Egypt. Results This case-control study included 66 patients with RA and 66 healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism showed that the genotype frequencies for lp13.3 genomic region-rs646776 polymorphism in the RA group were 62.1% (n = 41), 34.8% (n = 23), and 3% (n = 2) for the AA, AG, and GG genotypes, respectively. The prevalence of the G allele was higher in the RA group than in the control group (20.5% and 7.6%, respectively; p < 0.01). Furthermore, ED was more prevalent in G allele carriers than in A allele carriers, suggesting a greater probability of ED and CVD in patients with RA with the GG genotype than in those with other genotypes. Conclusions This study indicated the validity of ultrasound in detecting the association between lp13.3 genomic region-rs646776 polymorphism and ED in Egyptian patients with RA. These findings could help identify high-risk patients with RA who may benefit from active treatment to help prevent CVD.