The impact of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECAs) on the development of blood vessel damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the preliminary study

• Published in: Rheumatology international 2022-05, Vol.42 (5), p.791-801
• Main Authors: Cieślik, Paweł, Semik-Grabarczyk, Elżbieta, Hrycek, Antoni, Holecki, Michał
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibodies; Autoantibodies; Biomarkers; Blood vessels; Cardiovascular disease; Creatinine; Endothelium, Vascular; Female; Humans; Laboratories; Lupus; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Observational Research; Plasma; Proteins; Rheumatology; Vasculitis - pathology; Womens health
• ISSN: 1437-160X; 0172-8172; 1437-160X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00296-022-05104-5

Vascular injury represents one of the most frequent lesions in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of the study was to assess the influence of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECAs) on the development of endothelial cell (EC) activation, dysfunction and subsequent vasculitis in women with SLE. Fifty six women with SLE were divided into 2 subgroups, i.e. subjects with positive AECAs (+) and those with negative AECAs (–). The control group consisted of 25 healthy women. Clinical characteristics, routine laboratory tests and circulating markers of EC activation/dysfunction, i.e. monocyte-chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), soluble E- and P-selectin, vascular and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1, sICAM-1), von Willebrand factor (vWF), pentraxin 3 (the marker of vasculitis) the indicator of procoagulant activity i.e. prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2) were detected using ELISA and compared between patients with AECA (+), AECA (–) and control subgroups. Serum concentrations of AECAs in AECA(+), AECA(–) and control groups were 4.58 ± 2.97, 0.92 ± 0.50 and 0.72 ± 0.28 AU/ml, respectively ( p