Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of carotid plaques in patients with long-term lupus nephritis (LN). Methods: Intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques were evaluated with ultrasound in 75 patients after a follow-up of LN of 158±106 months and in 75 sex -and age-matched controls. Traditional and non-traditional atherosclerotic risks factors were also tested. Results: IMT was not different between LN patients and controls, but 18% of LN patients had carotid plaques in comparison to 2.6% of controls (p=0.004). The LN patients more frequently had hypertension (p=0.0001), hypercholesterolemia (p=0.0001), were overweight (p=0.009), in menopause (p=0.01) than controls. More frequently, LN patients with carotid plaques had renal insufficiency (p=0.03), longer duration of lupus (p=0.05), anti-phospholipid antibodies (p=0.018), high C-reactive protein (p=0.03), high reactive oxygen species (p=0.001) than those without plaques. Patients with plaques were older (p=0.000001), in menopause (p=0.000001) and more frequently had cardio-vascular accidents during observation (p=0.02). The time of exposure to pathological values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was longer (p=0.000001) and the percentage of pathological values of these variables during the follow-up was higher (p=0.000001) in patients with carotid plaques. At multivariate analysis, older age (p=0.0025), longer time of exposure to pathological values of blood pressure (p=0.015) and of cholesterol (p=0.04) were independent predictors of carotid plaques. Conclusions: Carotid plaques were more frequently found in LN patients than in controls. Although inflammatory markers and lupus related factors may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, only traditional risk factors such as age, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were the independent predictors.

Carotid plaques in patients with long-term lupus nephritis / B. Gallelli, L. Burdick, S. Quaglini, G. Banfi, C. Novembrino, F. Bamonti, P. Messa, G. Moroni. - In: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY. - ISSN 0392-856X. - 28:3(2010), pp. 386-392.

Carotid plaques in patients with long-term lupus nephritis

C. Novembrino;F. Bamonti;P. Messa;
2010

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of carotid plaques in patients with long-term lupus nephritis (LN). Methods: Intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques were evaluated with ultrasound in 75 patients after a follow-up of LN of 158±106 months and in 75 sex -and age-matched controls. Traditional and non-traditional atherosclerotic risks factors were also tested. Results: IMT was not different between LN patients and controls, but 18% of LN patients had carotid plaques in comparison to 2.6% of controls (p=0.004). The LN patients more frequently had hypertension (p=0.0001), hypercholesterolemia (p=0.0001), were overweight (p=0.009), in menopause (p=0.01) than controls. More frequently, LN patients with carotid plaques had renal insufficiency (p=0.03), longer duration of lupus (p=0.05), anti-phospholipid antibodies (p=0.018), high C-reactive protein (p=0.03), high reactive oxygen species (p=0.001) than those without plaques. Patients with plaques were older (p=0.000001), in menopause (p=0.000001) and more frequently had cardio-vascular accidents during observation (p=0.02). The time of exposure to pathological values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was longer (p=0.000001) and the percentage of pathological values of these variables during the follow-up was higher (p=0.000001) in patients with carotid plaques. At multivariate analysis, older age (p=0.0025), longer time of exposure to pathological values of blood pressure (p=0.015) and of cholesterol (p=0.04) were independent predictors of carotid plaques. Conclusions: Carotid plaques were more frequently found in LN patients than in controls. Although inflammatory markers and lupus related factors may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, only traditional risk factors such as age, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were the independent predictors.
Settore BIO/12 - Biochimica Clinica e Biologia Molecolare Clinica
2010
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/142630
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 2
  • Scopus 12
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 10
social impact