Evaluation of patients with collagen diseases

Abstract Title: Evaluation of patients with collagen diseases
Authors: Zuiac Silvia Sorina, Puschita Maria
Affiliation: “Vasile Goldis” Western University Arad, Romania
Abstract text: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the features of the cardiovascular system and the risk of cardiovascular events present in the collagen diseases. The objectives of the paperwork are: 1) evaluation of patients with collagen diseases in terms of the clinical, paraclinical particularities, to determine the diagnosis; 2) the analysis of the clinical manifestations, the activity of the disease and the index of organic damage; 3) cardiovascular risk factors in patients with collagenosis; 4) the study of the cardiovascular system alteration in patients with collagenosis; 5) estimating the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with collagenosis.
The study is conducted in Resita Emergency County Hospital, between 2006-2008 and includes 30 patients with collagen diseases, mean age 25-50 years who were included in the diagnostic criteria of collagenosis. From all of the cases, 12 were with rheumatoid arthritis, 8 with disseminated lupus erythematosus, 5 with scleroderma, 2 with dermatomyositis, 1 case with ankylosing spondylitis and 2 cases with nodular rheumatoid. From the survey there will be excluded all the patients who have liver diseases or active autoimmune diseases, with active bacterial or viral infections or those with renal failure or dialysis.
The collagen diseases listed above show as a cardiovascular damage: pericarditis, myocardial infarction, endocarditis, heart failure, hypertension, disturbed and driving rhythm. The methods used to investigate were echocardiography, exercise test and ECG. Special methods of investigation were used: the CRP which is in close relationship with the inflammation, the cumulative dose of glucocorticosteroids, the radiological assessment, fundus, antinuclear antibodies which to these diseases are always positive and this supports the diagnosis of these autoimmune diseases, leucocyte formula, hematocrit, hemoglobin, lipid spectrum, the spectrum of carbohydrates, enzymatic determination, liver markers, antiviral liver markers, ESR, protein ionogram, vitamins, pH, synovial fluid analysis, (complement factors C3 and C4 which are strongly diminished in the synovial fluid). For chronic cardiovascular diseases, the diagnosis is set by history and based on clinical and laboratory signs identified in history.
Keywords: collagen diseases, cardiovascular risk, cardiovascular diseases
Presentation type: Oral
Correspondence: no. 2 Aleea Nedeea, Resita, Caras-Severin, Romania
Email: zuiac@yahoo.com