Atherosclerosis Biomarkers Among Egyptian Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Population Based Study

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis; endothelial dysfunction is believed one of the most important initial steps of the atherosclerosis process. The aim of this study is to evaluate endothelial microparticles (EMPs) (VCAM-1/CD105) in addition to Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), as biomarkers of atherosclerosis, among Egyptian Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and its correlation to SLE related risk factors. We compared data obtained from 60 Egyptian SLE patients neither of them had diabetes, hypertension nor smokers, with 30, age and sex matched healthy volunteers. Both patients and controls were subjected to full history taking and clinical examination as well as basic laboratory investigations in addition to VCAM-1 ELISA, CD105 by flow cytometer and Carotid arteries ultrasound to assess intima-media thickness and the presence of plaques. Our results revealed highly significant increase of cIMT, CD105, VCAM-1, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in SLE patients compared to normal controls (P<0.001). In comparing SLE patients with increased cIMT with those with normal cIMT, we found significant increase in LDL cholesterol, steroid duration and highly significant increase of steroid cumulative dose and disease duration. Also, SLE patients with positive anti-dsDNA showed significant increase in cIMT (P<0.05) in comparison to anti-dsDNA negative patients at the time of sampling. Our results also demonstrated no correlation between Anti-Cardiolipin antibodies (ACL) and cIMT, VCAM-1 or CD105. We found that SLE patients had a significant increase in cIMT, VCAM-1 and CD105 compared with the controls. This significant increase in these atherosclerotic biomarkers was not correlated with indices of disease activity or presence of anti-dsDNA or ACL antibodies but correlated with disease and steroid duration, steroid cumulative dose, age and LDL-C level.