[Echocardiographic changes and anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the echocardiographic abnormalities and the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and to evaluate the relationship between aCL and cardiac valvular abnormalities in SLE patients.


METHODS
Ninety SLE patients were performed M-mode, 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography and aCL IgG and IgM were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). According to the abnormalities in the echocardiography, the patients were assigned into valvular abnormality group and non-valvular abnormality group. Chi-square method was used to compare the difference of aCL prevalence between the two groups.


RESULTS
The prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities was 53.33%, and valvular abnormality (38.89%) and pericardial effusion (34.44%) presented most frequently. The aCL prevalence was 32.56% in the 43 SLE patients. The prevalence of aCL in the valvular abnormality group was significantly higher than that in non-valvular abnormality group (52.94% vs 19.23%, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of echocardiographic abnormalities is high in SLE patients, most often in valves and pericardium. The aCL is probably related to valvular damage in SLE patients.
Zhang
Sai-dan
SD
Department of Cardiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China. zhangsaidanli@126.com
Wu
Miao
M
Chen
Feng
F
Zuo
Xiao-xia
XX
Zhang
Jing
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin