Page 8 - N&V Winter 2019

Increased Cardiovascular Risk in patients with SLE

reseArCH PrOJeCT uPDATes each patients disease symptoms and can be detected by ultrasound scans.
Lupus is a very difficult disease to treatment with information gained from Professor Rahman recruited 100 adult
diagnose and to treat and despite a large examining the different types of immune patients with lupus who did not have any
research effort there are still many things cells in the blood as well as investigating previous symptoms of cardiovascular
we do not understand about the disease. different types of fat (or lipids) in the disease and did not have any of the
normal risk factors that are associated with
For example we do not know why the blood. heart disease such as increased levels of
symptoms of lupus are so varied and why The first project, ‘Increased cardiovascular bad fats in the blood. These patients were
some people with lupus respond well to risk in patients with SLE: what is the role of scanned for the presence of thickened
treatment and some do not. Over the last invariant Natural Killer T cells?’, was arteries; 36 patients out of 100 had early
five years LUPUS UK has funded two major performed by Edward Smith in close signs of developing heart disease.
research projects within the Jury Group at collaboration with Professors Rahman and
the Centre for Rheumatology/Centre for Isenberg who were investigating increased We wanted to investigate the blood of
Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at risk of heart disease in a group of 100 these 100 patients to find out whether
University College London. Both projects adult patients with lupus. there were any changes in the immune cells
were focused on investigating why people Patients with lupus have a much increased or in the fats in the blood between patients
with lupus have an increased risk of heart risk of suffering from cardiovascular with and without thickened artery walls. In
disease. These grants part-funded two PhD disease (such as a heart attack or stroke) particular we were interested in a
studentships for two promising young compared to people that do not have lupus specialised type of immune cell called iNKT
scientists, Edward Smith and George who are the same age and sex. However, it cells that are able to recognise changes in
Robinson who both graduated with is very hard to predict which patients are fat levels in the blood. We thought that
excellent PhDs and now continue to work in at more risk because this is not associated iNKT cells could play a key role in linking
research. During both projects we worked with the traditional risk factors normally immune cell defects, blood fats and heart
very closely with the doctors who look after associated with heart disease including disease in lupus patients. To investigate this
lupus patients in hospital in particular, changes in blood fats measured by the we took blood from these patients
Professor David Isenberg, Professor Anisur routine hospital laboratories. An early sign performed a very detailed study of their
Rahman, Dr John Ioannou and Dr Coziana of heart disease is increased thickness immune cells and a comprehensive analysis
Ciurtin. In this way we have been able to (atherosclerosis) of important blood vessels of over 200 different types of blood fat
match very detailed information about (arteries). Such changes in blood vessels (not normally measured in routine practice).

L-R Kirsty Waddington, Liz Jury, Ines Pineda-Torra,
Elvira Chocano Navarro and George Robinson
involved in the studies
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luPus uK NEWS & VIEWS SUMMER 2019