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Research Article

Syndecan 1 may slow the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, , &
Article: 2156529 | Received 15 Nov 2022, Accepted 03 Dec 2022, Published online: 16 Dec 2022
 

ABSTRACT

Background

Subclinical atherosclerosis may be seen at an early age of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Syndecan 1 (S1) expression is increased in response to proinflammatory cytokine and inflammation. High S1 may reduce carotid atherosclerosis progression. We aimed to investigate the relationship between S1 levels and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with AS.

Methods

Fifty-eight patients diagnosed with AS and 58 age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched controls were included in the study. S1 level and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) were evaluated using appropriate methods.

Results

AS patients’ cIMT (0.53 ± 0.1 vs 0.45 ± 0.1 mm, p = .008), S1 (6.0 [1.7–149.2] vs 5.5 [1.0–29.8] ng/ml, p = .020), CRP (C-reactive protein) (2.1 [0.1–19.7] vs 1.1 [0.3–9.6] mg/dl, p = .012), fibrinogen (330.2 ± 87.0 vs 278.0 ± 54.5 mg/dl, p < .001) values were significantly higher than the values of the control group. There was a negative correlation between cIMT and CRP (p = .034), age (p < .001), disease duration (p = .005), BASDAI (p = .048) and fibrinogen (p = .009) in AS patients. There was a negative correlation between cIMT and S1 (p = .029). In multivariate analysis, an independent relationship was found between cIMT and age (β = 0.611, p < .001) and syndecan (β = −0.196, p = .046).

Conclusion

S1 level may rise in AS patients to suppress the inverse effects of proinflammatory cytokines and inflammation. A negative relationship between the cIMT values of AS patients and S1 level may reveal that S1 has a protective effect on the development of atherosclerosis in AS patients, independent of disease activity.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.