Atherosclerosis in Egyptian patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract EN

-Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a systemic infl ammatory disorder with extra-articular features including cardiovascular diseases.

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the presence of atherosclerosis in Egyptian patients with AS and its relation to disease activity.

Patients and methods Thirty patients with AS of at least 18 years of age and 30 age-matched and sex-matched controls were included.

Assessment of medical history, clinical examinations, and assessment of AS disease activity using BASDAI, BASMI, and BASFI as well as dobutamine echocardiography were performed only for patients.

Complete blood count, ESR, C-reactive protein, lipid profi le, serum von Willebrand factor ( vWF) Ag level by ELISA, ECG, and carotid duplex were performed for all participants.

Results In patients, 11 had active disease and 19 were in remission.

A hypertensive response ( HTNR) appeared in eight patients; six of them had active disease.

There was a signifi cant increase in the level of vWF in actively diseased patients than inactive patients and controls.

Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was signifi cantly increased in AS patients than controls.

Levels of low-density lipoprotein were signifi cantly higher in AS patients than the controls and in AS patients receiving biologics than those not receiving biologics.

In the inactive group, vWF and IMT were signifi cantly increased in patients receiving biologics.

vWF correlated positively with BASDI, BASMI, BASFI scores, ESR, and carotid IMT and negatively with high-density lipoprotein.

Conclusion Patients with AS are more susceptible to atherosclerosis, which is related to disease activity, and receiving biologics may place them at a higher risk.

vWF, as a useful marker of atheroscl