Retinal vascular calibers in contemporary patients with chronic systemic inflammatory diseases: The Greek REtinal Microcirculation (GREM) study

Evaggelia K. Aissopou; Athanase D. Protogerou; Theodore G. Papaioannou; Maria Tektonidou; Nikolaos Tentolouris; Panagiotis G. Theodossiadis; Coen D.A. Stehouwer; George D. Kitas; Petros P. Sfikakis

doi:10.1016/j.artres.2017.02.001

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Volume 18, Issue C, June 2017, Pages 1 - 6

Retinal vascular calibers in contemporary patients with chronic systemic inflammatory diseases: The Greek REtinal Microcirculation (GREM) study

Authors

Evaggelia K. Aissopou^a^{, *}, Athanase D. Protogerou^a^{, b}^{, c}, Theodore G. Papaioannou^d, Maria Tektonidou^a^{, b}, Nikolaos Tentolouris^a, Panagiotis G. Theodossiadis^e, Coen D.A. Stehouwer^f^{, g}, George D. Kitas^b^{, h}, Petros P. Sfikakis^a^{, b}

^aCardiovascular Research Laboratory and Rheumatology Unit, 1st Department of Propaedeutic and Internal Medicine & Cardiovascular Unit, “Laiko” Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

^bJoint Academic Rheumatology Program of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Greece

^cCardiovascular Prevention & Research Unit, Department of Pathophysiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

^dBiomedical Engineering Unit, 1st Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

^e2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Attikon University Hospital, Greece

^fDepartment of Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands

^gCardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands

^hArthritis Research UK Epidemiology Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

^*Corresponding author. 75, Mikras Asias Street, (Building 16–basement), 115 27 Athens, Greece. Fax: +30 213 2061755. E-mail address: eaiswpou@yahoo.gr (E.K. Aissopou).

Corresponding Author

Evaggelia K. Aissopou

Received 24 September 2016, Revised 20 December 2016, Accepted 1 February 2017, Available Online 20 February 2017.

DOI: 10.1016/j.artres.2017.02.001 How to use a DOI?
Keywords: Retinal vascular caliber; Autoimmune disease; Systemic inflammation; Retinal microcirculation
Abstract: Background: Chronic systemic inflammatory diseases (CSID) are associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Widening of retinal venular calibers has been independently associated with systemic inflammation and cardiovascular risk in the general population. We aimed to test the hypothesis that retinal vessel calibers are altered in a population with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and spondyloarthropathies (SpA) compared to a reference group (RG).

Methods: Between 2012 and 2014 digital retinal images were obtained from consecutive individuals and retinal vessel calibers were measured with validated software to determine central retinal arteriolar and venular equivalents.

Results: One hundred eighty-eight patients with CSID [(74 RA, 75 SLE, 39 SpA), (70.2% females, mean age 50.4 ± 12.5 years)] and 512 non-CSID individuals [(187 normotensives and 325 hypertensives, 90 of whom untreated; RG), (43.7% females, mean age 52.3 ± 11.7)] were recruited. Logistic regression analysis after adjustment for all factors associated with retinal vessel calibers in univariate analysis (age, sex, body mass index, blood pressure, anti-hypertensive/lipid modifying drugs and disease duration), showed that both arteriolar and venular retinal vessel calibers were comparable between CSID patients and the RG. No significant differences were found regarding retinal vessel calibers between each patient subgroup and the RG.

Conclusions: Retinal vessel calibers were not significantly altered in patients with CSID. Well-controlled disease, as indicated by inflammatory indices, may be an explanation of our results suggesting that sufficient control of inflammation could improve microvascular abnormalities in these populations.
Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

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Next Article In Issue>

Journal: Artery Research
Volume-Issue: 18 - C
Pages: 1 - 6
Publication Date: 2017/02/20
ISSN (Online): 1876-4401
ISSN (Print): 1872-9312
DOI: 10.1016/j.artres.2017.02.001 How to use a DOI?
Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

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ris enw bib

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Evaggelia K. Aissopou
AU  - Athanase D. Protogerou
AU  - Theodore G. Papaioannou
AU  - Maria Tektonidou
AU  - Nikolaos Tentolouris
AU  - Panagiotis G. Theodossiadis
AU  - Coen D.A. Stehouwer
AU  - George D. Kitas
AU  - Petros P. Sfikakis
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2017/02/20
TI  - Retinal vascular calibers in contemporary patients with chronic systemic inflammatory diseases: The Greek REtinal Microcirculation (GREM) study
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 1
EP  - 6
VL  - 18
IS  - C
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2017.02.001
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2017.02.001
ID  - Aissopou2017
ER  -

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