Aortic intima-media thickness (IMT), abnormal intima-media thickening, and plaques in patients with SLE and controls.
| Patients (n = 47) | Controls (n = 21) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMT (mm), mean (minimum, maximum) | |||
| Aortic level (anterior wall) | |||
| Distal (35–40 cm) | 0.83 ± 0.34 (0.47, 2.35) | 0.71 ± 0.17 (0.47, 1.23) | 0.07 |
| Mid (30–35 cm) | 0.95 ± 0.66 (0.47, 4.23) | 0.67 ± 0.20 (0.47, 1.3) | 0.01 |
| Proximal (25–30 cm) | 0.82 ± 0.27 (0.47, 1.57) | 0.66 ± 0.19 (0.47, 1.27) | 0.01 |
| Arch | 0.86 ± 0.29 (0.53, 1.83) | 0.65 ± 0.12 (0.40, 0.93) | 0.001 |
| Overall aortic IMT (maximum) | 1.11 ± 0.68 (0.57, 4.23) | 0.76 ± 0.19 (0.55, 1.30) | 0.002 |
| Overall aortic IMT (mean) | 0.86 ± 0.27 (0.51, 1.89) | 0.67 ± 0.15 (0.49, 1.13) | 0.001 |
| Aorta IMT (%) | |||
| Distal (35–40 cm) | 15/46 (33) | 3 (14) | 0.15 |
| Mid (30–35 cm) | 17/46 (37) | 3 (14) | 0.09 |
| Proximal (25–30 cm) | 15/46 (33) | 3 (14) | 0.14 |
| Arch | 13/34 (38) | 1/19 (5) | 0.01 |
| Any aortic portion | 17 (37) | 3 (14) | 0.02 |
| Aortic plaque (%) | |||
| Distal (35–40 cm) | 4/43 (9) | 0/20 | 0.21 |
| Mid (30–35 cm) | 4/42 (10) | 0/20 | 0.39 |
| Proximal (25–30 cm) | 4/42 (10) | 0/20 | 0.39 |
| Arch | 6/44 (14) | 0 | 0.17 |
| Ascending aorta | 1/47 (2) | 0 | 1.0 |
| Any aortic portion | 11 (23) | 0 | 0.01 |
| Aortic IMT or plaque (%) | |||
| Any aortic portion | 20 (43) | 3 (14) | 0.02 |