The prevalence of dyslipoproteinemia in Thai patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Fasting blood samples taken from 93 pairs of outpatient systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) women and matched controls were assessed for total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL)- and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. The demographic data, clinical manifestations, Mexican-SLE Disease Activity Index (MEX-SLEDAI), Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) damage index and medication prescribed in the SLE patients were reviewed. A significant elevation of TG levels was observed in the SLE patients compared to controls (mean +/- SD 113.3 +/- 59.5 versus 77.7 +/- 45.7 mg/dL, P < 0.001). The HDL-c level was also significantly lower in SLE patients than controls (mean +/- SD 49.7 +/- 12.7 versus 65.0 +/- 14.8 mg/dL, P < 0.001). The percentage of samples with low HDL-c (<35 mg/dL) was higher in the SLE group (9.7%) than controls (0%; P = 0.002). The LDL-c and TC levels were comparable in both groups. The use of antimalarial drugs was negatively associated with TC (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.08-0.61) and LDL-c levels (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.09-0.80). The increased prevalence of dyslipoproteinemia in SLE patients in this report has confirmed the results of previous studies and emphasized the importance of controlling this modifiable cardiovascular risk factor by the combination of lifestyle modification and medical treatments.