non-AS Group Research Articles

SAT0253 Patients With Non-As Axial SPA Have Similar Prevalence Compared to as, But Worse Perceived Health. Results from a Population Based Study.

BackgroundNon-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) is emerging as a treatable disease comparable to ankylosing spondylitis (AS), but less well studied. Previous studies have described a reversed gender distribution, with AS being...

Increased Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease in Young Patients with Newly Diagnosed Ankylosing Spondylitis – A Population-Based Longitudinal Follow-Up Study

BackgroundProspective data is sparse on the association between ischemic heart disease (IHD) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the young. The purpose of this population-based, age- and sex- matched follow-up study was to investigate the risk of IHD in young patients with newly diagnosed AS.MethodsA total of 4794 persons aged 18 to 45 years with at least two ambulatory visits in 2001 with the principal diagnosis of AS were enrolled in the AS group. The non-AS group consisted of 23970 age- and sex-matched, randomly sampled subjects without AS. The three-year IHD-free survival rate and cumulative incidence of IHD were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of IHD after controlling for demographic and cardiovascular co-morbidities.ResultsDuring follow-up, 70 patients in the AS group and 253 subjects in the non-AS group developed IHD. The cumulative incidence rate of IHD over time was higher in the AS group than the non-AS group. The crude hazard ratio of IHD for the AS group was 1.47 (95% CI, 1.13 to 1.92; p = 0.0043) and the adjusted hazard ratio after controlling for demographic characteristics and comorbid medical disorders was 1.47 (95% CI, 1.13 to 1.92; p = 0.0045).ConclusionsThis study showed an increased risk of developing IHD in young patients with newly diagnosed AS.

Association of myeloperoxidase gene variation with carotid atherosclerosis in patients with essential hypertension

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between myeloperoxidase (MPO) gene polymorphisms and carotid atherosclerosis (AS) in patients with essential hypertension(EH). A total of 214 patients with EH were divided into an AS and a non-atherosclerosis (non-AS) group. MPO gene polymorphisms in EH were detected using PCR. The frequency of increased intima-media thickness and the occurrence of plaque in the carotid artery in the AS group was higher compared to the non-AS group. The frequency of the GC genotype in the AS group was significantly higher compared to the non-AS group. The frequency of carotid AS is higher in patients with hypertension, which is related to the MPO gene polymorphism.

Association between plasmavisfatin and intima-media thickness of carotid artery in patients with type 2 diabetes

：Seventy-three patientswith type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into atheroselerosis(AS) group and non-AS groupaccording to the intima-media thickness(IMT)of the carotid artery.The plasma visfatinlevel in AS group was higher than that in non-As group[(44.95±10.14 vs 34.52±9.08)μg/L,P<0.05],andboth of them were higher than that of the control [(24.46±7.18)μg/L,both P<0.05 ].The visfatinlevel Was positively correlated with IMT,waist-to-hip ratio,visceral fat thickness,fastinginsulin,and HOMA insulin resistance index.Age,duration of diabetes,HbA_(1C),and visfatinlevel were the major risk factors for IMT of the carotid artery. Key words: Visfatin; Diabetesmeilitus; type 2; Atherosclerosis; Intima-media thickness

The Diagnostic Value of Sacroiliac CT for Detecting Early Changes of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Purpose: We wanted to evaluate the diagnostic value of the various findings on sacroiliac CT for detecting the early changes of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Materials and Methods: Between April 2005 and March 2006, 51 sacroiliac CT images with the clinical suspicion of AS, but no definite evidence of AS on the plain radiograph only, were retrospectively reviewed. Finally, 36 patients (mean age: 28.6 years; 34 males and 2 females), who were clinically diagnosed as AS (AS group, n=26) or they had no evidence of AS (non-AS group, n=10), were evaluated. Two musculoskeletal radiologists analyzed the presence of marginal irregularity, bony erosion and subchondral sclerosis. A statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the incidence, sensitivity and specificity of each finding. Results: Marginal irregularity was seen in 21 of 26 AS subjects, and in 8 of 10 non-AS subjects. Bony erosion was only seen in 13 of 26 AS subjects. Subchondral sclerosis was observed in 19 of 26 AS subjects and in 8 of 10 non-AS subjects. The sensitivity/specificity for each findings were 72.4%/28.6%, 100%/43.5% and 70.4%/22.2%, respectively. Except for bony erosions, these results showed no statistical significance (p=.006). Conclusion: Bony erosion on CT is a very sensitive finding for the early changes of AS, whereas marginal irregularity or subchondral sclerosis is not so helpful in differentiating AS from non-AS. Attention to these results may further enhance the accurate diagnosis of the early changes in AS.

Aortic stenosis is associated with elevated plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA)

Objectives We tested the hypothesis that the presence of aortic stenosis (AS) is associated with elevation of plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), a physiological inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, a mediator and marker of endothelial dysfunction and an indicator of incremental cardiovascular risk. Background The presence of aortic sclerosis (ASC), the precursor of AS is independently associated both with endothelial dysfunction, and with incremental coronary event risk. It remains uncertain whether elevations of ADMA levels might mediate endothelial dysfunction in these conditions. Methods Forty two consecutive patients referred for echocardiography for evaluation of AS, who had calculated aortic valve areas of <1.4 cm 2 (AS group) were evaluated together with 42 consecutive age-matched referred patients (non-AS group). Plasma ADMA levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Determinants of elevation of plasma ADMA levels were identified via stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Results Plasma ADMA levels were not statistically different between the AS and non-AS group (median 0.59 vs 0.54 μmol/L, p = 0.13, Mann-Whitney test) on univariate analysis. However, in backward stepwise multiple linear regression, the presence of AS was a significant predictor of elevated ADMA levels ( p = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.001, 0.072). In addition, elevated plasma ADMA levels were also associated with history of atrial fibrillation ( p = 0.009, 95% CI = 0.015, 0.100), and negatively associated with creatinine clearance ( p = 0.01, 95% CI = −0.002, 0.000), and the use of statin therapy ( p = 0.01, 95% CI = −0.081, −0.011). Conclusions AS is independently associated with elevation of ADMA levels, beyond that implied by “conventional” risk factors for endothelial dysfunction. The clinical status of AS as an incremental marker of cardiovascular risk may reflect ADMA-mediated endothelial dysfunction.

Reversal of paradoxical sleep deprivation by amygdaloid stimulation during learning

Rats were subjected to a partial, selective paradoxical sleep (PS) deprivation. Two groups were trained in a shuttle avoidance task, one receiving posttraining amygdaloid stimulations (AS). A third group received AS, but was not trained. Levels of PS in the AS trained group were higher than in the AS non-trained controls, while the reverse was true for the slow wave sleep (SWS) measure. Both AS groups had levels of PS and SWS superior to the non-AS trained rats. In a second experiment, a group of normally rested AS animals was trained in the same task with a non-AS control group. These groups did not differ in terms of learning performance. Results were believed to support the hypothesis of a close relationship between sleep and learning.