BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between early atherosclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using laboratory, functional, and morphological markers of atherosclerosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the present prospective single-center study, 96 patients with IBD (58 patients with ulcerative colitis and 36 patients with Crohn’s disease) and 65 healthy control subjects were included. The demographic data of each patient and control subject were recorded. The patients with IBD and healthy controls were compared in terms of the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), the values of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and nitroglycerine-mediated dilatation (NMD), and the levels of von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF-Ag), D-dimer, and lipoprotein (a).

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the IBD patients and controls in terms of age, sex, BMI, systolic and diastolic BPs, serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, or triglycerides. IBD patients had significantly higher levels of VWF-Ag (156.6±58.9 vs. 104.2±43.3, P<0.001) and D-dimer (337.2±710.8 vs. 175.9±110.9, P<0.001) as compared to the controls. No significant differences were determined between the 2 groups in terms of FMD and NMD values. Although statistically not significant, the CIMT values were higher in the IBD patients than in the controls (0.517±0.141 mm vs. 0.467±0.099 mm, P=0.073). In the correlation analysis, the CIMT was found to be correlated negatively with FMD and positively with high sensitive C-reactive protein, VWF-Ag, and D-dimer.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that VWF-Ag and D-dimer can be beneficial early atherosclerosis markers in IBD patients.

Keywords: carotid intima-media thickness, Biomarkers - blood, Atherosclerosis - pathology, Case-Control Studies, Colitis, Ulcerative - pathology, Crohn Disease - pathology, Endothelium, Vascular - pathology, Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products - metabolism, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, von Willebrand Factor - metabolism