Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and carotid intima-media thickness in primary Sjögren syndrome

Selcan Gültuna1, Sevinç Can Sandıkçı2, Hatice Kaplanoğlu3, Fevzi Nuri Aydın4, Funda Seher Özalp Ateş5

1Department of Immunology and Allergy, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
2Department of Rheumatology, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
3Department of Radiology, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
4Department of Biochemistry, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
5Department of Biostatistics, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, carotid intima-media thickness, lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2, primary Sjögren syndrome.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate serum lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) level and carotid intima-media thickness in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) as an indicator of atherosclerosis.

Patients and methods: Between July 2019 and July 2020, a total of 33 female pSS patients (mean age: 44.5±11.2 years; range, 23 to 60 years) and 37 female age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (mean age: 40.9±7.2 years; range, 25 to 54 years) were included. Carotid intima-media thickness and serum Lp-PLA2 levels were measured in the patient and control groups.

Results: The patients had a higher median serum Lp-PLA2 of 560 (range, 108 to 1,222) ng/mL vs. 328 (range, 0 to 1,280) ng/mL in the controls (p=0.024) and a similar mean intima-media thickness of carotid artery (0.64±0.14 mm vs. 0.62±0.15 mm, respectively; p=0.595). Serum Lp-PLA2 was positively correlated with platelet count (r=0.411, p=0.018) and negatively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=-0.409, p=0.018). The mean value of carotid intima-media thickness was positively correlated with disease duration (r=0.316, p=0.074) and was negatively correlated with the level of leucocyte (r=-0.458, p=0.007).

Conclusion: Our study suggests that the patients of pSS have a potential risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and disease severity.

Citation: Gültuna S, Can Sandıkçı S, Kaplanoğlu H, Aydın FN, Özalp Ateş FS. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and carotid intima-media thickness in primary Sjögren syndrome. Arch Rheumatol 2022;37(1):40-48.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Financial Disclosure

This study was financially supported by Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit with the Project No. 74/01.

Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit with the Project No. 74/01.