title: Atherosclerotic factors in PR3 pulmonary vasculitis.
abstract: Autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis are connected with higher risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications and mortality. This results from inflammatory damage to the vessel wall by vasculitis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and pulmonary involvement have an increased prevalence of atherosclerotic disease as characterized traditional risk factors. Twenty one patients with WG in remission and 15 control subject were entered to the study. Traditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, smoking, obesity, and dyslipidemia were assessed. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were higher in WG patients (p<0.025). Total cholesterol, LDL and TG levels were markedly elevated in 18 of the 21 in pulmonary WG patients. Compared with controls, plasma levels of hsCRP were raised in WG patients; 3.68 (0.79-9.75) mg/l vs. 0.14 (0.12-0.59) mg/l (p<0.01). We conclude that non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments of traditional risk factors are crucial to prevent cardiovascular disease in WG patients and thus should be part of therapy to control WG activity and damage caused by it.
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland. kzycinska@poczta.fm
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Zycinska
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Wardyn
authors: T M
authors: TM
authors: Zielonka
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Nitsch-Osuch
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Smolarczyk
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Zarzycki
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Demkow
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Lukas
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Pirogowicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D002097:C-Reactive Protein