Takayasu's Arteritis: Monitoring of Clinical and Laboratory Activity in a Kyrgyz Cohort of Patients

Abstract

Monitoring of clinical and laboratory Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) activity was carried out in 40 patients. Most of them were female patients (92.5%), of Kyrgyz nationality (97.5%), of young age (median - 32 years [24; 44]), with a disease duration of 7.5 years (median – (3.5; 12.5)), with the onset of the disease at 24 years (median –(19; 30)), with V anatomical type - (72.5%), which had vascular stage (77.5%), III grade (≥2) of vascular complications (37.5%), severe exacerbation (65%), with pronounced activity (92.5%) according to the EULAR criteria, high laboratory activity (accelerated ESR in 75% and increased hsCRP - in 65.71% of patients). The lesion of the common carotid (85%) and subclavian arteries (85%) prevailed, the renal arteries were the second most frequently (62.5%) affected vessels, with a predominance of bilateral stenosis (96.1%). During the 5.5 year- follow-up course, a statistically significant partial remission (according to the BVAS index) was achieved in only 12.5% of patients, while frequency of mild and severe exacerbations of the disease remained at the same level (p> 0.05). However, according to the EULAR criteria, there was a statistically significant decrease in the disease activity (from 92.5% to 65% cases) and an increase in the frequency of remission (from 2.5% to 27.5% cases), with the exception of episodes of relapses: major (12.5%) and minor ones (45%).