Intima–media thickening in patients with familial Mediterranean fever

• Published in: Rheumatology (Oxford, England) England), 2009-08, Vol.48 (8), p.911-915
• Main Authors: Ugurlu, Serdal, Seyahi, Emire, Cetinkaya, Fırat, Ozbakır, Fatma, Balci, Huriye, Ozdogan, Huri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Atherosclerosis - complications; Atherosclerosis - diagnostic imaging; Atherosclerotic plaques; B-mode ultrasonography; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Carotid Arteries - diagnostic imaging; Carotid artery; Case-Control Studies; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Familial Mediterranean fever; Familial Mediterranean Fever - complications; Familial Mediterranean Fever - diagnostic imaging; Female; Femoral artery; Femoral Artery - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Inflammatory joint diseases; Insulin Resistance; Intima–media thickness; Logistic Models; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - diagnostic imaging; Male; Malformations and congenital and or hereditary diseases involving bones. Joint deformations; Medical sciences; Metabolic Syndrome - diagnostic imaging; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Tunica Media - diagnostic imaging; Ultrasonography
• ISSN: 1462-0324; 1462-0332
• DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kep131

Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of atherosclerotic plaques and intima–media thickness (IMT) in patients with FMF and suitable controls. Methods. We studied 100 (46 males, 54 females; mean age: 40 ± 6 years) patients with FMF. Also 94 (15 males, 79 females; mean age: 41 ± 7 years) patients with SLE and 103 (44 males, 59 females; mean age: 40 ± 5 years) apparently healthy volunteers were included as the control groups. Subclinical atherosclerosis was assessed by investigating atherosclerotic plaques and measuring IMT from carotid and common femoral arteries using B-mode ultrasonography (USG). Traditional atherosclerotic risk factors were also assessed. Results. Both FMF and SLE patients had significantly higher carotid (C-IMT) and femoral artery IMT (F-IMT) compared with healthy controls. This was also true after adjustment for atherosclerotic risk factors. Only patients with SLE were found to have higher frequency of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid and in the carotid and/or femoral artery. When all atherosclerotic risk factors were adjusted, again only patients with SLE were found to have risk for atherosclerotic plaques. In FMF, whereas the presence of atherosclerotic plaques was only associated significantly with diabetes mellitus; C-IMT was correlated with age, BMI and fasting glucose; and F-IMT with age and BMI. Conclusions. Increased atherosclerosis defined as the presence of plaques was not observed in patients with FMF. The significance of increased C- and F-IMT among patients with FMF must be further assessed.