ASSOCIATION OF RENAL RESISTIVE INDEX WITH MARKERS OF EXTRARENAL VASCULAR CHANGES IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Abstract

Introduction: Recent data suggest that renal hemodynamic parameters obtained by duplex Doppler sonography, especially the intrarenal resistive index (RRI), may be associated with systemic vascular changes. However, limited and conflicting data exist about the relationship between aortic stiffness and RI in autoimmune diseases, like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Aim: To evaluate the relationship between RRI and arterial stiffness, assessed by aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), and between RRI and carotid atherosclerosis, evaluated by intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement in patients with SLE. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 39 SLE subjects (mean age 39 years) that were compared with a control group of healthy individuals, matched for age and sex. In all subjects routine blood chemistry and standard urinalysis were obtained. Each patient performed ultrasonographic renal RI, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM), aPWV through an oscillometric device and ultrasound evaluation of carotid IMTResults: RI correlated significantly with aortic PWV (r: 0.44; p = 0.006), and with carotid IMT (r: 0.46; p = 0.003) in the study population (Figure). Both correlations held (p = 0.01) even after correction for age, mean arterial pressure, and glomerular filtration rate. Conclusions: Our results seems to suggest that, as previously demonstrated in other clinical settings, the RRI may be considered a marker of systemic vascular changes and probably a predictor of cardiovascular risk also in SLE patients.