ABSTRACT. Objective. Depending on physiological context, the adipokine chemerin can reduce or enhance cardiovascular risk. We investigated whether chemerin concentrations represent cardiovascular disease risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. We assessed ELISA-determined chemerin concentrations and those of 4 early endothelial activation molecules as well as angiopoietin 2, which mediates angiogenesis and thereby contributes to advanced atherosclerosis, the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT), and carotid artery plaque by ultrasound in 236 patients (114 black and 122 white) with RA. Relationships were identified in potential confounder and mediator-adjusted mixed regression models. . The β (SE) for the chemerin-intima-media thickness relations in patients with overweight or generalized obesity and abdominal obesity were larger than in those without these characteristics (p < 0.0001 and = 0.04, respectively). Conclusion. Chemerin is associated with endothelial activation and atherosclerosis in RA. Adiposity influences the chemerin-atherosclerotic phenotype relations i
