The relationship between inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, atherosclerosis and rheumatic diseases.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in many developed countries. It is characterized by complex endocrine, paracrine and juxtacrine interactions between immune and vascular cells, as well as several tissues and organs. Oxidative stress and inflammation have an important role in the promotion of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Considering the complicated mechanisms and signals involved in atherosclerosis, research is focused on blood-based biomarkers, gene-based markers, metabolomics and other potentially interesting approaches for biomarker discovery. These biomarkers can be introduced as routine diagnostic tests if they prove to be cost-effective and to predict future cardiovascular events. Given the overlap of circulating inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in atherosclerosis and rheumatic diseases, we aim to overview their potential to screen cardiovascular risk and also to predict the evolution of associated rheumatic diseases.