Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Anti-Phospholipid Antibodies in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

An increase in mortality due to accelerated atherosclerosis has been reported in patients affected with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPA) may play a pathogenetic role in the development of atherosclerosis. We measured carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), as a surrogate parameter of atherosclerosis, by B-mode ultrasound examination in 42 patients affected with SLE (11 men and 31 women) and in 42 healthy age- and sex-matched subjects. Lupus Anticoagulant (LA) (APTT sensitive, silica clotting time, DRVVT), Anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACA) IgG and IgM, anti-β2glycoprotein 1 (anti-β2GP1) IgG and IgM and anti-prothrombin (anti-PT) IgG and IgM in ELISA (Orgentec Bouty) were also detected. IMT was 0.538±0.128 mm (0.310–0.866 mm) in SLE vs 0.473±0.084 mm in healthy subjects (-p 0.003–). IMT correlated with patients’ age (p