Does the presence of secondary antiphospholipid syndrome in patients with systemic lupus erythematodes accelerate carotid arteries intima-media thickness changes?

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of atherosclerosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the importance of secondary antiphospholipid presence (SAPS) in light of carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) changes in SLE patients. Our study included 120 patients with SLE (46.02 ± 13.16 years), 108 women and 12 men divided into two groups: 58 patients with SAPS and 62 SLE patients without SAPS taken as a control group. All patients underwent assessment of CIMT of right and left common carotid artery (CCA) and left and right internal carotid artery (ICA) by Doppler ultrasonography. In SAPS group, 48.3 % patients had significant changes of carotid arteries comparing to 16.1 % patients in control group (p = 0.008). Average CIMT values in left and right CCA and right ICA were significantly higher in SAPS group. No significant relationship between antiphospholipid antibody type and CIMT changes was established. Multivariate regression analysis revealed SAPS as a significant predictor of CIMT changes in SLE patients (p = 0.025). Presence of SAPS in SLE patients is associated with significant CIMT changes. Additional autoimmune burden leads to a need for a more aggressive education and prevention considering standard risk factors in this group of patients.