title: Altered lipid levels in untreated patients with early polymyositis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known so far on the lipid profile in polymyositis (PM) patients. Our aim is to identify lipid profiles in untreated patients with early PM, to assess the association between lipid profiles and C-reactive protein (a sensitive marker of inflammation) in these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This work was conducted as a case-control study. Sixty untreated patients with PM and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. The duration of PM was less than six months, and none of them had received intermittent or regular corticosteroids or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or biological agents prior to the study. Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed using standard techniques. Thirty patients (50%) had a decreased level of HDL-C and 47% had an increased level of TG. The levels of HDL-C, LDL-C, and TC in PM were significantly lower than in controls (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.001, respectively). The level of TG was significantly higher in PM than in controls (P<0.001). The level of very low LDL-cholesterol (VLDL-C), and the ratios of VLDL-C/LDL-C, TC/HDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C were significantly higher than in controls (all P<0.001). Serum CRP levels correlated negatively with HDL-C (r = -0.352, P = 0.006) and TC (r = -0.262, P = 0.043). After adjustment for age, gender, smoking, drinking, body mass index, and pulmonary fibrosis/infection, linear regression model demonstrated that CRP is associated with HDL-C among PM patients (P = 0.028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dyslipidemia is a common feature in patients with PM that is characterized by a decrease in HDL-C and an increase in TG, suggesting a high risk of atherosclerosis. The Inflammatory condition in PM may account for the metabolism of HDL-C.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, The Second Affiliated Chengdu Clinical College of Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China ; Department of Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, The Second Affiliated Chengdu Clinical College of Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yingchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xianxiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Juelin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol