title: Early ultrasonographic markers of atherosclerosis in patients with familial Mediterranean fever.
abstract: Systemic inflammation plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis (AS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of early AS in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) that is characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks of serositis. Sixty-one FMF patients (30 Male/31 Female; 31.5 [18-54] years) and 31 healthy controls (16 Male/15 Female; 31 [22-58] years) were studied. All FMF patients were on regular daily colchicine treatment and during attack-free periods. Both the FMF patients and controls with a history of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and hyperlipidemia were excluded. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Serum lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were assessed. Two-hour oral glucose tolerance test was performed to rule out DM and glucose intolerance. To investigate early AS "endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD%)," "nitroglycerin-induced endothelium-independent peripheral vasodilatation (NTG%)," and intima-media thickness (IMT) of common carotid arteries (CCA) were measured by ultrasonograpy. The median disease duration for FMF patients was 16 (1-45) years. Age, sex, BMI, smoking status, and serum lipids were comparable in patients and controls (p > 0.05). However, ESR and standard CRP were significantly higher in the patients group (p < 0.05). There were no differences in the measurements of right, left, and averaged IMT of CCA between patients and controls ([0.49 vs 0.5], [0.51 vs 0.52] and [0.5 vs 0.51]; p > 0.05, respectively). None of the subjects had carotid artery plaques. FMD% and NTG% were also similar in patients and controls group ([18.2 vs 20.6] and [24.2 vs 22.5]; p > 0.05, respectively). This study suggests that the markers of early AS are not impaired in FMF patients on regular daily colchicine treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, 35340, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sari
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karaoglu
authors.forename: Gercek
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Can
authors.forename: Servet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akar
authors.forename: Aytac
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gulcu
authors.forename: Merih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birlik
authors.forename: Nurullah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akkoc
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tunca
authors.forename: Yigit
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goktay
authors.forename: Fatos
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Onen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003078:Colchicine