Correlation of C-reactive protein and atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Method: a descriptive, prospective study of cases and controls with patients with a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus attended in the Center of Rheumatology and CIMEQ, Havana, from July 2010 to July 2012. Objective: to evaluate the correlation between the values of reactive protein *c and the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with them. Results: the study included 62 patients with THEM. The average age in the group of patients with THEM was 40.9 years old, predominating, the rank between 35-44 years old. There was prevalence of the no white ethnic group either in patients or controls: 67.7 %. atheromatose plate was observed in 22 patients (35.5 %), out of which 13,6 % had some coronary event. Positive reactive Protein C was corroborated in 41 patients, out of which 22 presented atheromatose plate. Conclusion: the concentration of C-reactive protein can be used as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, since its concentration correlates with the intimate-average thickness and with calcified deposits in the intimate average complex.