Prevalence of macrovascular disease in systemic sclerosis

To detect the prevalence of macrovascular disease in systemic sclerosis. Thirty patients with systemic sclerosis and ten normal controls matched in age and sex were included in the study. All subjects were screened for atherosclerosis risk factors and non-invasive vascular assessment as carotid duplex scanning and measurement of ankle brachial blood pressure index. There was no significant difference in risk factors as cigarette smoking, systolic, diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels between patients and controls groups. Twenty three out of 30 patients [76.7%] had carotid artery disease compared to [30%] of normal controls with a highly significant difference. Macrovascular disease is a common finding in systemic sclerosis. Early identification allows early intervention and treatment with better control of high rate of cardiovascular mortality

Serum chemokines in lupus nephritis and SLE disease activity

To estimate the serum macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha [MIP-1alpha] and serum/urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1] in systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] patients. This is in order to highlight their possible roles in the pathogenesis of SLE, disease activity and renal involvement. Forty SLE patients [group I] and 20 apparently healthy controls [group II] were included in the study. SLE patients were subdivided into group IA patients with active lupus nephritis [13 patients] and group IB patients without nephritis [27 patients]. Nephritis was diagnosed by active urinary sediments, impaired serum creatinine or creatinine clearance and graded by renal biopsy according to the WHO classification. SLE activity was measured using SLEDAI. The serum MIP-1 and serum/urinary MCP-1 were measured in all patients and controls using the ELISA technique. SLE patients had a significantly higher level of serum MIP-1alpha in group IA [105.2 +/- 12.9 pgm/mL] and group IB [93.9 +/- 3.5 pgm/mL] when compared to the control group [69.1 +/- 4.9 pgm/mL]. Also, there was a significant positive correlation [p<0.05] between MIP-Ialpha and both clinical [SLEAI], serological [dsDNA, ESR levels] parameters of disease activity and serum/urinary MIP1alpha. There was a statistically significant difference between the means of MCP-1 [serum 16.40 +/- 5.97 and urinary 21.20 +/- 3.12] among the controls and SLE group IA [serum 488.6 + 354.61, urinary 590.3 +/- 339.54], also between the controls and SLE group IB [serum 32.20 +/- 12.65, urinary 35.5 +/- 18.55]. The serum and urinary MCP-1 showed positive correlation with disease activity [SLEDAI], serum creatinine, and creatinine clearance. Also, urinary MCP-1 had positive correlation with ESR. Again, there was a significant difference between groups IA and IB regarding serum levels of MIP-1alpha and serum/urinary MCP-1 [p < 0.05]. The levels of serum MIP-1alpha and the serum/urinary MCP-1, may be used as laboratory parameters of disease activity in SLE and may reflect its immunopathogentic role and proinflammatory activity in SLE. Also, the urinary MCP-1 may be a useful simple tool for monitoring disease activity of lupus nephritis