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Atherogenic index of plasma: a useful marker for subclinical atherosclerosis in ankylosing spondylitis

AIP associate with cIMT in AS

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Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACD). The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), which is the logarithmic transformation of the plasma triglyceride (TG) level to the high-density lipoprotein level (HDL) ratio, has been suggested to be a novel marker in the identification of atherosclerosis risk. Therefore, this study aims to determine if the AIP can act as an accurate marker for the detection of subclinical atherosclerosis. Fifty-two male patients with AS and 52 age-, gender-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy control subjects were included in the study. For each patient, AIP and total cholesterol (TC)/HDL values were calculated and carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) was measured. The mean (SD) cIMT and median (range) AIP values for AS patients were higher than that of the healthy control subjects (0.60 ± 0.18 vs. 0.51 ± 0.10, p = 0.003 and 0.23 [− 0.32 to 0.85] vs. 0.09 [− 0.53 to 0.49], p = 0.007, respectively). A positive correlation was found between the patients’ cIMT and AIP values (r = 0.307, p = 0.002) and TC/HDL values (r = 0.241, p = 0.014). Regression analysis revealed an independent association between the subclinical atherosclerosis and AIP (beta [β] = 0.309, p = 0.002). There were no independent correlations between subclinical atherosclerosis and TC (β = 0.245, p = 0.065), TG (β = 0.185, p = 0.515), HDL (β = 0.198, p = 0.231), TC/HDL (β = 0.032, p = 0.862), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (β = 0.151, p = 0.246). A strong and independent correlation exists between AIP and cIMT values. Therefore, the AIP could serve as a better marker than the TC/HDL ratio for the detection of subclinical atherosclerosis in AS patients.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Camlica Erdem Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Erkan Cure

  2. Department of Cardiology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey

    Abdullah Icli

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Yunus Emre State Hospital, Eskisehir, Turkey

    Ali Ugur Uslu

  4. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Diskapi Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey

    Davut Sakiz

  5. Department of Biochemistry, Istanbul Laboratory, Mecidiyekoy, Istanbul, Turkey

    Medine Cumhur Cure

  6. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Malatya Training and Research Hospital, Malatya, Turkey

    Rabia Aydogan Baykara

  7. Department of Internal Medicine, Dogubeyazit Doc. Dr. Yasar Eryilmaz State Hospital, Agri, Turkey

    Fatma Yavuz

  8. Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey

    Sevket Arslan

  9. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey

    Adem Kucuk

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  1. Erkan Cure
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Correspondence to Erkan Cure.

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Ethics approval for the study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board at the Necmettin Erbakan University School of Medicine. Signed approval forms were taken from the subjects who participated in the study. This study was conducted in accordance with the updated Declaration of Helsinki.

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Cure, E., Icli, A., Uslu, A.U. et al. Atherogenic index of plasma: a useful marker for subclinical atherosclerosis in ankylosing spondylitis. Clin Rheumatol 37, 1273–1280 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-018-4027-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-018-4027-0

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