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Review
. 2022 Nov 7:13:974826.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.974826. eCollection 2022.

Immune mechanisms associated with cardiovascular disease in systemic lupus erythematosus: A path to potential biomarkers

Gabriela Guzmán-Martínez  1   2   3 , Concepción Marañón  4 ; CYTED RIBLES Network
Collaborators, Affiliations
Review

Immune mechanisms associated with cardiovascular disease in systemic lupus erythematosus: A path to potential biomarkers

Gabriela Guzmán-Martínez et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients display an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). With the improved clinical management of other classical severe manifestation of the disease, CVD is becoming one of the most relevant complications of SLE, and it is an important factor causing morbidity and mortality. Several immune constituents have been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and endothelial damage in SLE patients, including specific circulating cell populations, autoantibodies, and inflammatory mediators. In this review, we summarize the presentation of CVD in SLE and the role of the autoimmune responses present in SLE patients in the induction of atherogenesis, endothelial impairment and cardiac disease. Additionally, we discuss the utility of these immune mediators as early CVD biomarkers and targets for clinical intervention in SLE patients.

Keywords: autoantibodies; biomarkers; cardiovascular disease; cytokines; inflammation; systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Conflict of interest statement

GG-M and VG-R (CYTED RIBLES Network member) are employed by the company Atrys Health. CM was affiliated with the GENYO Center, which has a collaboration agreement with Pfizer. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Main immune mechanisms of involved atherogenesis in SLE patients. APL, anti-phospholipid antibody; EC, endothelial cell; (ox)HDL, (oxidized) high-density lipoprotein; IFN-I, type I interferon; LDG, low-density granulocytes; (ox)LDL, (oxidized) low-density lipoprotein; pDC, plasmacytoid dendritic cell; Tang, angiogenic T cell.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cardiovascular manifestations in SLE. Coronary computed tomography image showing a severe stenotic lesion in the proximal segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery (white arrow) in a SLE patient.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Main cytokine-based biomarkers of CVD in SLE patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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