Table 1.
Demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics of the study subjects
| Variable | Ankylosing spondylitis | Healthy controls | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | 30 | 25 | – |
| Age (years) | 34.2 ± 8.7 | 36.9 ± 6.6 | 0.21 |
| Gender: M/F (n) | 21/9 | 18/7 | – |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.5 ± 3.0 | 22.6 ± 2.7 | 0.57 |
| Smoking (n) | 0 | 0 | – |
| Systolic BP (mmHg) | 121.5 ± 6.9 | 118.6 ± 6.5 | 0.13 |
| Diastolic BP (mmHg) | 83.4 ± 6.0 | 80.9 ± 7.9 | 0.19 |
| Disease duration (years) | 8.7 ± 5.8 | – | – |
| HbA1c (%) | 4.8 ± 0.6 | 4.06 ± 0.7 | 0.23 |
| Serum creatinine (μmol/l) | 0.81 ± 0.08 | 0.84 ± 0.1 | 0.21 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 181.8 ± 17.0 | 179.92 ± 12.5 | 0.29 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 44.6 ± 5.2 | 49.2 ± 4.6 | 0.09 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 103.7 ± 17.9 | 99.4 ± 19.5 | 0.12 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 120.2 ± 17.1 | 125.4 ± 26.2 | 0.16 |
| ESR (mm 1st h) | 29.03 ± 10.29 | 16.64 ± 4.53 | <0.001* |
| CRP (mg/dl) | 14.92 ± 12.71 | 3.78 ± 1.05 | <0.001* |
| BASDAI | 4.89 ± 0.61 | – | – |
| ASDAS | 2.86 ± 0.71 | – | – |
| BASFI | 2.73 ± 1.30 | – | – |
| CIMT (mm) | 0.62 ± 0.12 | 0.53 ± 0.09 | 0.006* |
| TNF-α (pg/ml) | 9.92 ± 3.74 | 3.26 ± 1.13 | <0.001* |
| IL-6 (pg/ml) | 18.22 ± 8.44 | 4.0 ± 0.80 | 0.001* |
| IL-1 (pg/ml) | 177.3 ± 88.6 | 90.0 ± 18.9 | <0.001* |
Values are mean ± SD
BMI body mass index, HDL high-density lipoprotein, LDL low-density lipoprotein, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP C-reactive protein, BASDAI Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, ASDAS Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score, BASFI Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, CIMT carotid intima-media thickness, TNF-α tumor necrosis factor-a, IL-6 interleukin-6, IL−1 interleukin−1
* P < 0.05