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- Title
Endothelial function and carotid intima-media thickness in giant-cell arteritis.
- Authors
Hafner, Franz; Haas, Elke; Belaj, Klara; Froehlich, Harald; Gary, Thomas; Eller, Philipp; Brodmann, Marianne
- Abstract
Background Vascular endothelial dysfunction and intima-media thickness are characteristic aspects of several vasculitides. We investigated retrospectively the impact of steroid treatment on endothelial dysfunction and intima-media thickness in giant-cell arteritis. Methods Forty-one patients with giant-cell arteritis (28 female and 13 male) underwent flow-mediated dilatation, a marker of endothelial function, and carotid intima-media thickness within 24 h after diagnosis and 6 months thereafter. Both parameters were investigated in 41 patients of an age- and gender-matched control group. Results Brachial flow-mediated dilatation response at baseline was 3·4% (0·2, 8·0) and 1·7% (0·2, 4·8) in giant-cell arteritis patients and control group, respectively. After 6 months treatment, flow-mediated dilatation response was 2·8% (0·4, 4·8) in patients with giant-cell arteritis ( P = 0·066) and 1·4% (0·1, 5·5) in the control group ( P = 0·741). In contrast, mean carotid intima-media thickness of giant-cell arteritis patients improved significantly between baseline [1·0 mm (0·79, 1·2)] and 6-month follow-up [0·82 mm (0·7, 1·04), P < 0·001]. Subjects with additional symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica had a notable enlargement of carotid intima-media thickness [1·23 mm (1·14, 2·09)] compared to giant-cell arteritis patients without polymyalgia rheumatica at baseline [0·91 mm (0·76, 1·04), P = 0·001] and 6-month follow-up [1·16 mm (0·80, 1·26) vs. 0·77 mm (0·68, 0·88), P = 0·009]. Conclusion Steroid therapy has no influence on endothelial function but does significantly improve carotid intima-media thickness in giant-cell arteritis. This divergence of endothelial function and intima-media thickness reflects the specifity of giant-cell arteritis for cerebrovascular arteries thereby sparing the brachial arteries.
- Subjects
CAROTID intima-media thickness; ARTERITIS; VASCULAR endothelium; VASCULITIS; RETROSPECTIVE studies; HEART dilatation; ARTERIOSCLEROSIS
- Publication
European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2014, Vol 44, Issue 3, p249
- ISSN
0014-2972
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/eci.12227