Evaluation of Risk Factors That Contribute to High Prevalence of Premature Atherosclerosis in Chinese Premenopausal Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

Abstract

In our Chinese SLE group, patients presented a higher prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis plaque than healthy controls. SLE patients have significant endothelial dysfunction. We found that risk factors identified in other SLE populations were associated with atherosclerosis in our Chinese group.

Premature aortic stiffness in systemic lupus erythematosus by transesophageal echocardiography

“…Also, hypertension was not related to the low prevalence of renal disease (6%) and postmenopausal status (15%) nor body mass index since patients and controls had similar values. Similarly high prevalence rates (29%–36%) of hypertension have been reported in several series of premenopausal SLE women (2,3,15,17). Therefore, the putative mechanisms of hypertension in SLE such as inflammatory cytokine mediated endothelial dysfunction, hyperactivity of the renal angiotensin system resulting in increased production of angiotensin II and endothelin-1 (both potent vasoconstrictors), increased oxidative stress, steroid therapy, and insulin resistance may all actually contribute to aortic stiffness and then to hypertension or both simultaneously (2,14,20).…”

Reduced carotid intima–media thickness in systemic lupus erythematosus patients treated with cyclosporine A

“…Roman et al [16] also reported that carotid IMT was significantly less in SLE patients than controls. Some studies reported that SLE patients had a greater carotid IMT than population controls [17][18][19][20], while other studies found no significant difference between the two groups [21][22][23][24][25]. A considerable number of factors such as the carotid IMT measurement method, study population characteristics and disease activity may explain this unanticipated discrepant result.…”

Reactive hyperaemia index as a marker of endothelial dysfunction in children with Crohn's disease is significantly lower than healthy controls

“…There is evidence that various chronic inflammatory and immunological disorders including rheumatic autoimmune diseases , chronic kidney disease , systemic lupus erythematosus , systemic sclerosis , type 2 diabetes mellitus and autoimmune thyroiditis are related to increased risk of ED and early vascular wall changes. Altered endothelial cell biology is thought to be part of the early pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, although the precise mechanism has yet to be discovered.…”