Prolonged Exposure to Antiphospholipid Antibodies Is Associated with Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective Antiphospholipid syndrome has been shown to be associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, but the role of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) on endothelial dysfunction remains elusive. We investigated the association between endothelial dysfunction and aPL in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Methods 188 SLE patients and 62 controls were enrolled. Endothelial function was measured by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Cardiovascular risk factors were assessed and quarterly measurement of anti-cardiolipin (aCL) and anti-β2 glycoprotein I Ab were used to calculate time-integrated values throughout disease duration. Circulating endothelial progenitor cell (EPC), defined by CD34+/KDR +mononuclear cells, was quantified by flow cytometry. Results Median FMD was significantly lower in SLE patient than in controls (6.9 versus 9.3%, p Conclusion Cumulative burden of aPL was closely associated with endothelial dysfunction in SLE patients, which was mediated in part by reduction of EPC.