AB0621 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND VASCULAR PATTERN IN PATIENTS WITH TAKAYASU ARTERITIS

Abstract

Background Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a chronic large-vessel vasculitis that predominantly affects aorta and its major branches. Although it is more commonly observed in asian population, it can occur worldwide. TAK affects more frequently women in their second and third decades of life, but occurrence in patients older than 40 years is not rare1. Female to male ratio is commonly reported as 9:12. Objectives To compare clinical characteristics and pattern of vascular involvement at disease onset according to gender specificity in patients affected by TAK. Methods Data from 117 TAK patients (11 male, 106 female) diagnosed according to the aCR criteria from our Centre were retrospectively collected. Differences between men and women with regard to demographic features, diagnostic delay, signs and symptoms attributed to TAK, and arteries involved at diagnosis were compared. Data from 3 published articles describing sex differences in TAK patients were obtained3,4,5. A global analysis of these 3 cohorts plus ours (for a total of 578 patients, 108 men and 470 women) was performed. Results In our TAK cohort, age at disease onset and age at diagnosis were not significantly different between men and women. Diagnostic delay was slightly higher in men. Male patients showed higher involvement of iliac arteries (right, p=0.016; left, p=0.021); female patients suffered more frequently from upper limbs claudication (p=0.026). In the overall analysis, men had higher prevalence of arterial hypertension (p=0.007) and more frequent involvement of abdominal aorta (p=0.026), renal arteries (right, p Conclusion In TAK patients, gender has a strong influence on pattern of vascular involvement and consequently on clinical presentation. Specifically, women have higher involvement of the supradiaphragmatic vessels, whereas in men the abdominal vessels are more frequently affected.