title: Serum salusin-α levels in systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc), chronic inflammatory diseases, demonstrate an increased incidence of cardiovascular manifestations and subclinical atherosclerotic disease. Salusin-α is a novel bioactive peptide that suppresses the formation of macrophage foam cells, and its serum level is significantly lower in patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease. The aims of the study were to assess serum salusin-α level and its potential association with the predictors of atherosclerosis in SLE and SSc.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 20 SLE and 22 SSc patients and 23 healthy controls (HC). All of the participants were female. Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-6 and salusin-α levels,homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance(HOMA-IR) index and common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Salusin-α levels were lower and the IMTs were higher in the SLE and SSc groups than in the HC group. The salusin-α level was correlated with neither the disease activity scores nor cytokine levels and IMT in the SLE and SSc groups, although it was correlated with triglyceride level in the SLE group (r=-0.564, p=0.012), and with HOMA-IR index in the HC group (r=0.485, p=0.019).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present preliminary study may support the idea that SSc leads to subclinical atherosclerosis, as in SLE. Moreover, it can be concluded that the decreased salusin-α levels in SLE and SSc may contribute to subclinical atherosclerosis. However, further studies with larger sample size are needed to demonstrate this contribution in SLE and SSc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Süleyman Serdar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Koca
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, İnönü University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Özgen
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, State Hospital of Aydın, Aydın, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bahar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Işık
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Necati
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Dağlı
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bilal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Üstündağ
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Işık
keywords: Systemic lupus erythematosus; atherosclerosis; salusin-α; systemic sclerosis