Relationship Between Secondary Amyloidosis and Carotid Intima Media Thickness in Inflammatory Disease

Abstract

INTRODUCTION[|]Inflammation takes significant part in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and secondary amyloidosis but little is known about its relationship with both. Assessment of this relationship via carotid intima–media thickness (IMT) in patients with secondary amyloidosis and suitable controls, is the aim of our study.[¤]METHODS[|]14 amyloidal inflammatory disease patients, 34 non-amyloidal inflammatory disease patients and 34 healthy volunteers formed the study population. All patients were non-smoker. Patient with history of atherosclerotic vascular disease and presence of diabetes mellitus excluded the study. Investigating the measuring IMT from carotid arteries using ultrasonography was managed to assess subclinical atherosclerosis and CRP levels were measured from the all study population.[¤]RESULTS[|]Amyloidal inflammatory disease patients demonstrated a significantly greater carotid IMT (0.71+-0.8 mm) compared with the non-amyloidal inflammatory disease patients (0.56+-0.1 mm; p<0.001) and the healthy controls (0.43+-0.4 mm; p<0.001). The patients with amyloidal inflammatory disease had a significantly greater CRP level (5.7+-2.5 mg/L) than the other groups (3.7+-3.1 mg/L, 1.5+-1.2 mg/L; p<0.001).[¤]DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION[|]Increased carotid arterial wall thickness was associated with the presence of amyloidosis, perhaps due to an increase in atherosclerotic changes related to chronic lowlevel inflammation.[¤]

Keywords

• atherosclerosis
• familial mediterranean fever
• systemic serum amyloid a amyloidosis
• carotid artery; intima–media thickness.