In a multivariate regression analysis that used serum FSTL1 concentrations as the dependent variable and included age, body weight, height, disease duration, bilateral joints involved, hypertension, diabetes, hs-CRP, RF and KL grade as the independent variables, only KL grade was independently associated with the serum FSTL1 levels (Table 4). This evidence concerns the gene FSTL1 and Hypertension.