Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Children with Rheumatologic Diseases in Minia Children University Hospital, Egypt

Patients with rheumatologic diseases have higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Accelerated atherosclerosis and early coronary artery disease have become important causes of death and hospitalization in those patients which may be attributed to metabolic changes in lipids. We aimed to clarify the cardiovascular risk in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JRA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and its relation to lipid profile and disease activity index. In this cross sectional comparative study which was done in Minia Children University Hospital, Egypt, we measured lipid profile (cholesterol, triglycerides, low and high density lipoproteins), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein in 15 patients with JRA (group1), and 15 patients with SLE (group 2), and in 30 healthy children as controls (group 3). Results showed that there were no significant differences between group 1 (JRA) patients, and controls in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low and high density lipoproteins, but there were high statistically significant differences between group 2 (SLE) patients, and controls in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoproteins (p<0.001), and in high density lipoproteins (p<0.008).There were positive significant correlations between disease activity index in JRA patients with total cholesterol (r=0.633, p=0.011), triglycerides (r=0.523, p=0.046), and low density lipoproteins (r=0.548, p=0.034). Also, positive significant correlations between disease activity index in SLE patients with total cholesterol (r=0.579, p=0.024), triglycerides (r=0.559, p=0.030), and low-density lipoprotein (r=0.533, p=0.041). Children with rheumatologic diseases can be at high risk of arthrosclerosis and cardiovascular events due to lipid profile change which may be associated with subclinical arthrosclerosis, so continuous monitoring of lipid profile can decrease mortality and co-morbidity.