Evaluation of sub-clinical atherosclerosis and plasma levels of minimally modified LDL in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and its correlation with disease activity.
BACKGROUND
Accelerated atherosclerosis has been shown in some autoimmune diseases, mainly in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Although high prevalence of corticosteroids use may be a confounding factor due to their detrimental effects on several risk factors, systemic inflammation per se is supposed to play an important role in atherogenesis in these patients.


METHODS
We have evaluated sub-clinical atherosclerosis and plasma levels of circulating electronegative LDL, which represents the fraction of LDL that is minimally modified, in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Fourteen patients who fulfilled the modified New York criteria for AS were compared with 13 paired controls. Carotid intimal-media thickness (IMT) was assessed by ultrasonography bilaterally in common carotid artery, internal carotid artery and in the bifurcation. Groups were homogeneous regarding cardiovascular risk factors. Only a single patient in AS group was in use of corticosteroid.


RESULTS
The presence of active inflammation was demonstrated by elevated BASDAI and higher CRP levels and in patients versus controls (12.36 vs. 3.45 mg/dl, P = 0.002). No difference was found in carotid IMT between both groups, in any site of artery. Averaged IMT (6 measurements, at 3 pre-specified sites bilaterally) was 0.72 ± 0.28 in AS group and 0.70 ± 0.45 mm in controls (P = 0.91). Minimally modified LDL did not differ significantly either between patients and controls (14.03 ± 17.40 vs. 13.21 ± 10.21; P = 0.88).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with AS did not show increased carotid IMT in comparison to controls. In the same way, circulating plasma levels of LDL (-), did not differ significantly in both groups.
Fernanda Teles
FT
Ceccon
Valderílio Feijó
VF
Azevedo
Carlos A
CA
Engelhorn
Dulcinéia S P
DS
Abdalla
Tanize E S
TE
Faulin
Luis Cesar
LC
Guarita-Souza
Roberto
R
Pecoits-Filho
José Rocha
JR
Faria-Neto
D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*
D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein