Functional and Structural Arterial Vessel Features of Female Patients with Stable Dermatomyositis and Antisynthetase Syndrome

Abstract

Introduction: Dermatomyositis (DM) and antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) show a high frequency of metabolic syndrome, which can be preceded by endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness. To date, only one study has evaluated these vessel parameters in DM, and no study of ASS exists. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the structural and functional arterial of arterial vessels in DM and ASS. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 21 adult female patients (14 DM and 7 ASS) who were age-, gender- and ethnicity-matched to 12 healthy individuals. Patients using lipid lowering agents or prednisone at doses ≥ 0.25 mg/kg/day, and patients with uncontrolled systemic arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiac insufficiency, and disease activity were excluded. Arterial stiffness was evaluated using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), and endothelial function was evaluated using dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery. Results: The mean age of patients with DM or ASS were 45.4 ± 8.6 and 44.0 ± 6.1 years, respectively (P = 1.000), and patients were predominantly of white ethnicity. Six DM patients and three ASS patients had systemic arterial hypertension, whereas 9 DM patients and six ASS patients had dyslipidemia. Endothelial baseline diameter, hyperemia diameter and FMD values were similar among the three groups (P > 0.05). Moreover, the median FMD values were also similar between the patients with DM and patients with ASS [8.3% (4.5% - 10.9%) vs. 6.0% (−1.8% - 8.2%); P = 0.585]. The PWV values were comparable among the three groups (P = 0.253). In addition, no difference was observed between patients with DM and patients with ASS (7.4 ± 0.8 m/s vs. 7.4 ± 0.9 m/s; P = 1.000). Conclusions: Despite the high prevalence of dyslipidemia and systemic arterial hypertension, our female patients with stable DM and ASS had FMD and PWV values comparable to those of the control group.