Article Text

Download PDFPDF

Fasting lipids and anticardiolipin antibodies as risk factors for vascular disease in systemic lupus erythematosus.
  1. A J MacGregor,
  2. V B Dhillon,
  3. A Binder,
  4. C A Forte,
  5. B C Knight,
  6. D J Betteridge,
  7. D A Isenberg
  1. Bloomsbury Rheumatology Unit, University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, London, UK.

    Abstract

    Fasting cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, apoprotein AI, and apoprotein B were measured in 64 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus to assess the risk factors for vascular disease. The relation between the lipid profile, steroid treatment, the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies, and the prevalence of vascular disease was examined. Raised concentrations of triglyceride and apoprotein B were seen in those patients treated with more than the equivalent of 10 mg prednisolone a day in the six months before testing. An increase in vascular disease was found only in the subgroup of patients with increased triglycerides who also expressed anticardiolipin antibodies. This study confirms the association between treatment with high doses of steroids in lupus and the development of an atherogenic plasma lipid profile. The presence of anticardiolipin antibodies compounds the risk of developing vascular disease.

    Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.