Clinical, biochemical and anthropometric characteristics of the study population
| SLE (n=43) | HCs (n=34) | P value | |
| Age, years | 51.6±14.5 | 51±10.3 | 0.731 |
| Sex (female) | 39 (90.7) | 29 (85.2) | 0.216 |
| Disease duration, months | 193.9±135.3 | NA | NP |
| C3, mg/dL | 95.3±21 | NA | NP |
| C4, mg/dL | 20.5±8.7 | NA | NP |
| Anti-dsDNA abs (positivity) | 921 | NA | NP |
| Antiphospholipid abs (positivity ever) | 15 (34.8) | NA | NP |
| SLEDAI-2K | 2.7±2.4 | NA | NP |
| SLICC-DI | 1.4±1.4 | NA | NP |
| Nephritis (yes) | 19 (44) | NA | NP |
| PDN (yes) | 26 (60.4) | NA | NP |
| PDN cumulative dose, g | 20.2±18.3 | NA | NP |
| HCQ (yes) | 10 (23.2) | NA | NP |
| HCQ cumulative dose, g | 1099.5±950.5 | NA | NP |
| Smoker (active or former) | 12 (28) | 10 (29.4) | 0.522 |
| BMI | 24.9±4.6 | 24.3±3.7 | 0.438 |
| Systolic BP, mm Hg | 116.5±14.5 | 116±15.9 | 0.664 |
| Diastolic BP, mm Hg | 71.2±11.3 | 67.5±15.8 | 0.125 |
| Fasting glucose, mg/dL | 88±24.6 | 90.6±8.6 | 0.409 |
| HbA1c, mmol/mol | 36.7±6.3 | 34.5±7.3 | 0.105 |
| Total cholesterol mg/dL | 186.4±44.6 | 191.9±25.4 | 0.429 |
| HDL cholesterol, mg/dL | 58.3±21.4 | 60.6±11.1 | 0.693 |
| LDL cholesterol, mg/dL | 105.4±38.9 | 117.2±27.5 | 0.056 |
| TG, mg/dL | 105.3±46.2 | 84.5±46.4 | 0.019 |
| APO-B | 93±27 | 97.6±21.6 | 0.272 |
| TyG index | 8.3±0.5 | 8.1±0.5 | 0.035 |
| Framingham Score | 9.9±6.5 | 6.9±5.4 | 0.008 |
| ACC/AHA ASCVD Score | 5.3±5 | 2.8±1.5 | 0.001 |
| QRISK3 Score | 11.5±8.0 | NA | NP |
| IMT, mm | 5.717±1.355 | 5.78±1.152 | 0.789 |
| Superficial whole en face VD,% | 50.1±5.6 | 53.0±2.3 | <0.001 |
| Superficial fovea VD,% | 21.3±9.5 | 22.6±7.3 | 0.691 |
| Fovea thickness (μm) | 255.3±21.5 | 257.9±23.4 | 0.516 |
| Superficial parafovea density, % | 53.6±4.9 | 71.0±27.5 | 0.118 |
| Parafovea thickness (μm) | 317.9±23.6 | 320.5±19.4 | 0.508 |
| Deep whole en face VD, % | 55.4±7.0 | 58.6±5.4 | 0.005 |
| Deep fovea VD, % | 39.2±8.2 | 41.1±7.8 | 0.184 |
| Deep parafovea VD, % | 59.0±5.0 | 60.7±4.6 | 0.046 |
| FAZ (mm2) | 0.26±0.10 | 0.25±0.10 | 0.607 |
| FAZ perimeter (mm) | 1.94±0.41 | 1.93±0.43 | 0.828 |
Data are shown as numbers (%) or means±SD. Values of p<0.05 were considered statistically significant and are highlighted in bold.
ACC/AHA, American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association; Anti-dsDNA, anti-double strand DNA; APO-B, apolipoprotein B; ASCVD, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure; FAZ, fovea avascular zone; HbA1c, glycated haemoglobin; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; HCs, Healthy Controls; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; IMT, intima media thickness; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; NA, not applicable; NP, not performed; PDN, Prednisone; QRISK3, QRESEARCH risk estimator version 3; SLEDAI-2K, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000; SLICC-DI, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index; TG, Triglycerides; TyG, triglycerides-glucose; VD, vessel density.