TY - JOUR T1 - Anti-endothelial cell autoantibodies and soluble markers of endothelial cell dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus. JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 1963 LP - 1966 VL - 30 IS - 9 AU - Joel Constans AU - Remy Dupuy AU - Andrew D Blann AU - Francois Resplandy AU - Martine Seigneur AU - Martine Renard AU - Maïte Longy-Boursier AU - Thierry Schaeverbeke AU - Viviane Guérin AU - Michel R Boisseau AU - Claude Conri Y1 - 2003/09/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/30/9/1963.abstract N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine if anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) and plasma markers of endothelial cell function are related to disease severity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: We measured AECA by human umbilical vein endothelial cell binding, endothelial markers von Willebrand factor, soluble thrombomodulin, and soluble E-selectin by ELISA, and disease severity by SLEDAI and SLICC/ACR in 35 patients with SLE. RESULTS: Despite high levels of IgG AECA (p = 0.001) and von Willebrand factor (p = 0.0007) compared to 21 healthy controls, we found a positive correlation only between IgG AECA and the SLEDAI index (r = 0.393, p = 0.021). CONCLUSION: IgG AECA seem to be related to disease activity in SLE, possibly in a pathogenic role. Conversely, plasma markers of endothelial cell damage seem to be an epiphenomenon and may simply be related to excess inflammation. ER -