title: Atherosclerosis in thrombotic primary antiphospholipid syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) is characterized by arterial and venous thrombosis, pregnancy loss, often recurrent, in the presence and persistence on antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). The issue of early atherosclerosis, as evaluated by measuring carotid intima media thickness (IMT), associated with aPL, has been limitedly explored in PAPS.
  
  
  METHODS
  In an age- and sex-matched case-double-control study, intima media thickeness of carotid arteries was measured using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound in 49 thrombotic PAPS patients (18 M, 31 F, mean age 37+/-11), in 49 patients who suffered thrombosis for inherited thrombophilia and 49 healthy subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average carotid IMT was always greater in PAPS than control patients (common carotid P=0.004, bifurcation P=0.013, internal carotid P=0.001). By dividing participants into age tertiles most of the difference was explained by greater IMT of PAPS patients in the second (common carotid P=0.003, bifurcation P=0.023, internal carotid P=0.003) and third tertiles (common carotid P=0.03, bifurcation P=0.004, internal carotid P=0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Premature atherosclerosis is a clinical feature of our thrombotic PAPS patients.
authors.affiliation: Immunoclot Ltd, Leeds, UK. paxmes@aol.com
authors.forename: P R J
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ames
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Antinolfi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scenna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaeta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Margaglione
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margarita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019851:Thrombophilia; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000150:complications*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids