Factors involved in the progress of preclinical atherosclerosis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus: a 2-year longitudinal study

Abstract

IMT significantly increases over 2 years in patients with SLE. Age, baseline IMT, C3, C5a anaphylatoxin and homocysteine are all associated risk factors, supporting a role for complement and homocysteine in the early stages of premature SLE-associated atherosclerosis.

Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Systemic Autoimmune Disorders

“…In another report, SLE specific variables were associated with aortic stiffness and included older age, hypertension, higher C3 levels, lower white blood cell count, higher insulin levels, and renal disease (Selzer, Sutton-Tyrrell et al 2004). Rua-Figueroa et al who assessed the changes in carotid IMT and the associated risk factors in patients with lupus in a two year period, identified basal measurement IMT, age at diagnosis, homocysteine, C3 and C5a as risk factors for IMT progression (Rua-Figueroa, Arencibia-Mireles et al 2010). In accord with the previous findings, Haque et al compared SLE patients with verified clinical CV disease (myocardial infarction or angina pectoris) to patients without clinical CV disease.…”

Genetically Determined Serum Levels of Mannose-Binding Lectin Correlate Negatively with Common Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

“…Increased ccIMT has been observed in patients with SLE compared to controls 1,4 and correlates with several traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors in SLE 1,4,28,29 .…”

“…In our study, the mean ccIMT was 0.62 mm, in accord with previous findings in SLE patients 1,4 . Several associations between increased ccIMT and traditional cardiovascular risk factors have been observed in patients with SLE 1,4,28,29 . In some studies disease duration 29 , SLEDAI 37 , and SDI 38 have been associated with increased subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE patients, whereas other studies failed to find significant associations among disease duration, SLEDAI, SDI, and atherosclerosis in univariate and/or multivariate analysis 28,39 .…”

Why are kids with lupus at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease?

“…Higher SLEDAI scores have also been correlated with lower values for left ventricular longitudinal function measured by strain rate and strain imaging [126]. However, even adults with low activity SLE have shown a measurable increase in cIMT over a 2-year period [133]. Since patients with JSLE have been consistently shown to have more aggressive disease than adults, there is clear concern that they are at increased risk of CVD.…”