الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
This study was performed to evaluate subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with SLE and its relationship to disease activity and damage indices.
This study involved 60 patients with SLE (57 females and 3 males with mean age of 31.8±8.79 years and with mean disease duration of 4.95±3.61 years) in addition to 20 healthy volunteers (16 females and 4 males with mean age 32.3±7.43 years) as control group with age and sex matched to patients group.
Patients are diagnosed as SLE according to the modified American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for classification of SLE.
All patients were subjected to the following:
*Full history taking,
*Full detailed clinical examination
* Laboratory assessment
*Assessment of disease activity using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)
*Assesment of disease damage using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) score
* B mode ultrasound to measure carotid plaque and intima media wall thickness.
The results showed the following:
• There was no significant difference between patients and control regarding age and gender
• The percentage of patients regarding urine analysis was :
75% of patients did not have hematuria, 50% of patients had pyuria and 70% of patients had no albumin in urine.
• The percentage of patients regarding Ultrasound (U/S) findings was:
60% of patients had negative ultrasound findings(IMT≤0.9 mm) and 40% of patients had positive ultrasound findings(IM>0.9 mm), 20% of them showed increased of intima media thickness only &20% of them showed increased intima media thickness with plaque formation.
• The percentage of patients regarding disease activity index (SLEDAI) was:
40% of patients had moderate activity, 35% of patients had high activity, 15% of patients had mild activity and 10% of patients had very high activity.
• There was a highly significant difference between patients and control regarding intima media thickness it was higher in patients (0.84) than control (0.61) & P value<0.001.
• There was a significant difference between patients with positive ultrasound findings and patients with negative ultrasound findings regarding their age, duration , CRP &C4 (P value<0.05) and a highly significant difference between them regarding LDL, SLICC score (P value<0.001).
• There was non significant difference between patients with positive ultrasound findings and patients with negative ultrasound findings regarding immune profile (anti ds DNA, anticardiolipin AB, lupus anticoagulant, complement and lipid profile).
• Correlation between Intima media thickness(IMT) and clinical and laboratory data among patients group showed positive correlation between age, duration, ESR, LDL, cholesterol, SLEDAI& SLICC score and IMT. Also shows negative correlation between C4 and IMT
• There was a highly significant difference between patients with normal intima media thickness, increased intima media thickness & increased intima media thickness with plaque formation regarding their SLICC score, it was higher in patients with plaque than with increased intima media thickness only than with normal intima media thickness.
• There was a highly significant difference between patients with normal intima media thickness, increased intima media thickness & increased intima media thickness with plaque formation regarding their disease activity (SLEDAI). It also shows that 50% of patients with normal intima media thickness (IMT) have moderate disease activity, 50% of patients with increased IMT have high disease activity& 50% of patients with increased IMT with plaque formation have very high activity.