Rheumatology Medical News about systemic lupus erythematosus

Become a Member Today!
Register

Most Viewed Abstracts

1. Report Shows Shift in Starting Salaries for Physicians

2. Rapid correction of low vitamin D status in nursing home residents

3. 2008 Exclusive Survey—Earnings: Good news for primary care income

4. Medicare pay-for-reporting effort draws fire from frustrated doctors

5. Allopurinol-induced recurrent dress syndrome: Pathophysiology and treatment

Your Article Summary

See Latest Articles

(Click the title below to leave the MDLinx Network and go to the Journal's Website)

The factors involved in the progress of preclinical atherosclerosis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus: a two year longitudinal study
Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, 08/25/09

Rúa–Figueroa I et al. – IMT significantly increases over two years in patients with SLE. Age, baseline IMT, C3, C5a anaphylatoxin and homocysteine are all associated risk factors, supporting a role for complement and homocysteine in the early stages of premature SLE associated atherosclerosis.

Exclusive Author Commentary
I Rúa-Figueroa, 09/08/09

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients are at an increased risk of early atherosclerosis, currently representing the primary cause of death associated with this disease. Although the mechanisms involved in lupus associated atherosclerosis are not yet fully understood, the findings from our study suggest that the role of homocysteine during early stages of atherosclerosis is once again all too evident. We also provide unprecedented data on the role of the complement system, with specific regard to C5a, an anaphylatoxin that may play a significant role in the characteristic endothelial damage associated with atherosclerosis. Furthermore, the fact that both factors are potentially modifiable points to the possibility of focussing on new therapeutic targets, as a means to preventing the development of atherosclerosis as a major late complication of the lupus disease.

<< Previous
Age- and sex-related regional compressive strength...

Next >>
Demyelinating events in rheumatoid arthritis after drug exposures