title: Prevalence and risk factors for coronary artery calcification following kidney transplantation for systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with SLE who undergo kidney transplantation are at increased risk of premature cardiovascular disease. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of coronary artery calcification in transplanted SLE patients without coronary symptoms and to explore risk factors associated with coronary atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study in transplanted SLE patients with a functioning graft. Evaluation included laboratory tests, SLE disease activity indices, multi-slice CT for quantification of coronary calcification (Agatston score >400 = high calcification, <400 = mild to moderate calcification). Arterial and aortic stiffness was assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-nine patients were analysed, three of whom had a prior history of coronary events. Coronary artery calcification was present in 82% of patients (n = 32), with 36% (n = 14) with a high level of arterial calcification. Multivariate regression analysis showed the following factors to be independently associated with high coronary calcification: PWV (0.41, 95% CI 0.17, 0.66, P = 0.001), time since diagnosis of LN (0.66, 95% CI 0.43, 0.71, P < 0.001) and BMI (0.39, 95% CI 0.15, 0.63, P = 0.002). Immunosuppression regimen was not significantly different between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coronary artery calcification is widespread in transplanted SLE patients despite a normal profile of conventional cardiovascular risk factors. The risk of calcification increases with disease duration, BMI and PWV in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Renal Section, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo, Norway. gudrun.elisabeth.norby@rikshospitalet.no
authors.forename: Gudrun E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Norby
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Günther
authors.forename: Geir
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mjøen
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Szilveszter
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dolgos
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Hallvard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holdaas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods