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Early ultrasonographic markers of atherosclerosis in patients with familial Mediterranean fever

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Abstract

Systemic inflammation plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis (AS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of early AS in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) that is characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks of serositis. Sixty-one FMF patients (30 Male/31 Female; 31.5 [18–54] years) and 31 healthy controls (16 Male/15 Female; 31 [22–58] years) were studied. All FMF patients were on regular daily colchicine treatment and during attack-free periods. Both the FMF patients and controls with a history of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and hyperlipidemia were excluded. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Serum lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were assessed. Two-hour oral glucose tolerance test was performed to rule out DM and glucose intolerance. To investigate early AS “endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD%),” “nitroglycerin-induced endothelium-independent peripheral vasodilatation (NTG%),” and intima-media thickness (IMT) of common carotid arteries (CCA) were measured by ultrasonograpy. The median disease duration for FMF patients was 16 (1–45) years. Age, sex, BMI, smoking status, and serum lipids were comparable in patients and controls (p > 0.05). However, ESR and standard CRP were significantly higher in the patients group (p < 0.05). There were no differences in the measurements of right, left, and averaged IMT of CCA between patients and controls ([0.49 vs 0.5], [0.51 vs 0.52] and [0.5 vs 0.51]; p > 0.05, respectively). None of the subjects had carotid artery plaques. FMD% and NTG% were also similar in patients and controls group ([18.2 vs 20.6] and [24.2 vs 22.5]; p > 0.05, respectively). This study suggests that the markers of early AS are not impaired in FMF patients on regular daily colchicine treatment.

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Abbreviations

AS:

atherosclerosis

BAD:

brachial artery diameter

BMI:

body mass index

CCA:

common carotid artery

CRP:

C-reactive protein

CV:

cardiovascular

DM:

diabetes mellitus

ESR:

erythrocyte sedimentation rate

FMD:

flow-mediated dilatation

FMF:

familial Mediterranean fever

HDL:

high density lipoprotein

HT:

hypertension

IMT:

intima-media thickness

LDL:

low density lipoprotein

NTG:

nitroglycerin

RA:

rheumatoid arthritis

SLE:

systemic lupus erythematosus

SPSS:

Statistical Package of Social Science

TC:

total cholesterol

TG:

triglycerides

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, 35340, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey

    Ismail Sari, Gercek Can, Servet Akar, Merih Birlik, Nurullah Akkoc & Fatos Onen

  2. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, 35340, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey

    Oguzhan Karaoglu, Aytac Gulcu & Yigit Goktay

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, 35340, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey

    Mehmet Tunca

  4. Tip Fakultesi, Ic hastaliklari ABD, Immunoloji-Romatoloji BD, Dokuz Eylul Universitesi, 35340, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey

    Fatos Onen

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  1. Ismail Sari
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  2. Oguzhan Karaoglu
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  3. Gercek Can
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  10. Fatos Onen
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Correspondence to Fatos Onen.

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Sari, I., Karaoglu, O., Can, G. et al. Early ultrasonographic markers of atherosclerosis in patients with familial Mediterranean fever. Clin Rheumatol 26, 1467–1473 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-006-0529-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-006-0529-2

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