Association of aortic perivascular adipose tissue density with aortic calcification in women with systemic lupus erythematosus

Atherosclerosis
Kelly J ShieldsSusan Manzi

Abstract

Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) surrounds the vascular wall, is associated with CVD risk factors, and may contribute to premature CVD in SLE. We previously found greater volumes of aortic PVAT associated with aortic calcification (AC) in female SLE patients. There is recent evidence that not only volume but adipose density may also be indicative of inflammation. We hypothesized that female SLE patients would have a difference in aPVAT quality associated with AC that is independent of volume. Aorta PVAT quality was evaluated using the average radiodensity (density) of adipose tissue-specific Hounsfield Units (-190 to -30 HU) within each clinical CT scan of CVD-free, age-/race-matched SLE women (n = 143) and healthy controls (HC, n = 143). Aorta PVAT density was significantly higher in SLE (mean (SD): (-83.6 (1.9) HU) versus HC (-84.1 (1.8) HU), p=0.03). Increasing aPVAT volume was correlated with denser aPVAT in SLE (ρ, p-value: 0.75,<0.0001) and HC (0.74,<0.0001). Increasing AC score (log) was correlated with denser aPVAT for SLE (0.31, 0.0005) and HC (0.23, 0.008). In linear regression, denser aPVAT was more strongly associ...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cardiovascular Disease Pathophysiology

Cardiovascular disease involves several different processes that contribute to the pathological mechanism, including hyperglycemia, inflammation, atherosclerosis, hypertension and more. Vasculature stability plays a critical role in the development of the disease. Discover the latest research on cardiovascular disease pathophysiology here.

Biomarkers for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment

Sensitive and accurate biomarkers used in cardiovascular risk prediction can potentially be used to manage the risk of cardiovascular disease. Discover the latest research on Biomarkers for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment here. Discover the latest research on Biomarkers for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment here.

Cardiovascular Inflammation

Inflammation plays a significant role in the development of cardiovascular diseases, an understanding of these endogenous processes is critical for evaluating the risks and potential treatment strategies. Discover the latest research on cardiovascular inflammation here.