ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between asymmetric dimethylarginine [ADMA], high sensitive C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1] [both serum levels and the genotypes of the MCP-1 A-2518G polymorphism] with the development of carotid atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients [SLE]. Thirty non menopause SLE female patients and twenty healthy age-matched females were included. Both cases and controls were subjected to evaluation of body mass index [BMI], intimal-medial thickness [IMT], fasting blood sugar [FBS], serum lipids. Serum ADMA, hs-CRP, and MCP-1, levels were measured by ELISA. MCP-1 polymorphism was detected by PCR-RFLP. Our results showed that values foi IMT, hs-CRP, ADMA and MCP-1, were significantly higher in SLE patients than in healthy control with more significant increase in SLE patients with IMT >/= 1 mm than those with IMT <1 mm. Carotid IMT was significantly positively correlated with all the studied variables except for age, BMI and FBS, but significantly negatively correlated with HDL-C in all SLE patients. Genotype of MCP-1 [A-25 1 8G] showed that; GIG genotype was more frequent in SLE patients than controls. IMT, hs-CRP, ADMA and MCP-l from patients with G/G phenotypes were markedly higher than patients with the A/A or A/G genotype. In multiple regression analysis, ADMA and MCP-1 were the strongest independent determinants of IMT in SLE patients. In conclusion assessment of high levels of ADMA, hs-CRP, MPC-1, in addition to the MCP-l G allele may play a role in the pathogenesis of accelerated atherosclerosis in SLE patients and would be useful in identifying the risk of developing atherosclerosis