Plasma osteopontin versus intima media thickness of the common carotid arteries in well-characterised patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The progress of accelerated atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is incompletely understood. Circulating osteopontin (OPN) is increased in autoimmune conditions, e.g. SLE, and its serum concentration was recently reported to associate with subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE, as measured by carotid intima-media thickness. The aim of this study was to investigate whether OPN may be used as a surrogate biomarker of subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE patients with different disease phenotypes.

Methods

We recruited 60 well-characterised SLE cases and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The SLE cases were divided into three different disease phenotypes: SLE with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), lupus nephritis, and isolated skin and joint involveme

SUBMITTER: Wirestam L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8209759 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature