High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I is a biomarker for increased arterial stiffness in systemic lupus erythematous women with normal kidney function.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a main cause of death in patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). Algorithms for cardiovascular risk stratification in general population underestimate the risk for CVD in SLE. Our study aimed to determine whether serum high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) might help to identify SLE patients with subclinical atherosclerosis. Arterial stiffness was assessed measuring the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) in 68 SLE women with a normal or almost normal kidney function and in 71 controls of similar characteristics. None of the participants had a history of an overt CVD. Serum hs-cTnI level was measured using the chemiluminescence method. Factors associated with an increased PWV (iPWV) were identified and multivariate analysis was performed. When detectable, patients tended to have had higher hs-cTnI levels than controls [2.9 (2.3-4.0) vs 2.4 (2.2-4.1); p = 0.098] and were more likely to have detectable hs-cTnI [50% vs 28%, odds ratio (OR) 7.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.008-0.013]. Also, patients with iPWV were more likely to have detectable hs-cTnI than those with normal PWV (OR 6.4; 95% CI 0.019-0.026). In the multivariate analysis, the age at SLE diagnosis (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.04-1.48), systolic blood pressure (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.10-1.48) and detectable hs-cTnI level (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.18-3.50) were independently associated with an iPWV. The negative predictive value of having an iPWV with undetectable hs-cTnI levels was 88%. Hs-cTnI may be a useful biomarker for the identification of SLE patients with iPWV as a surrogated marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. Specifically targeted prospective studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Sclerostin as a biomarker of cardiovascular risk in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). On the other hand, sclerostin is a reliable and early biomarker of vascular calcification. This study aimed to estimate the association between sclerostin and two markers of cardiovascular risk, carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CP) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), in women with SLE. The presence of CP (determined by carotid artery ultrasound) and PWV were measured in 68 women with SLE and preserved renal function. None of the participants had a history of cardiovascular disease. Serum levels of sclerostin were determined using the ELISA method. Other factors associated with increased cardiovascular risk were also measured. The association between sclerostin, CP and PWV was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and multivariate regression models. The area under the ROC curve was 0.785 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.662-0.871) for CP and 0.834 (95% CI 0.729-0.916) for dichotomized PWV. After adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors, it was found that a 10-units increase in sclerostin values was associated with a 44% increase in the odds of CP (95% CI 1-105), but no adjusted association was observed between sclerostin and PWV. Predictive models included age (for both outcomes), hypertension, Framingham risk score and C-reactive protein (for PWV), but not sclerostin. Sclerostin is associated with the presence of CP in women with SLE. Further research should confirm its possible role as a biomarker of cardiovascular risk in these patients.

Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Nocturnal Autonomic Activity in Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Preliminary Study.

Objective: fibromyalgia is a complex chronic pain syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, insomnia and autonomic alterations. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is regarded as a promising treatment in fibromyalgia, but its impact on autonomic function remains uncertain. In this research, we studied the effect of CBT on autonomic functions in fibromyalgia. Methods: Twenty-five participants underwent overnight polysomnographic recordings before and after CBT programs focused on pain (CBT-P) or a hybrid modality focused on pain and insomnia (CBT-C). Sleep quality, daily pain, depression and anxiety were assessed by self-reported questionnaires. We analyzed heart rate variability (HRV) using high-frequency power (HF) as a marker for parasympathetic activity, and low-frequency power (LF) and the LF/HF ratio as relative sympathetic markers during wakefulness and at each sleep stage. Results: After treatment, 14 patients (/25, 58.0%) reported improvement in their sleep: 6 in the CBT-P condition (/12, 50%), and 8 in the CBT-C condition (/13, 61.5%). We found that, regardless of the type of CBT, patients who reported improvement in sleep quality (n = 14, 58%) had an increase in HF during stages N2 (p < 0.05) and N3 (p < 0.05). These changes were related to improvement in sleep quality (N2, r = −0.43, p = 0.033) but not to pain, depression or anxiety. Conclusions: This study showed an improvement in parasympathetic cardiac control during non-rapid-eye-movement sleep following CBT in fibromyalgia participants who reported better sleep after this therapy. CBT may have a cardio-protective effect and HRV could be used as a sleep monitoring tool in fibromyalgia.