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Patients with systemic vasculitis have increased levels of autoantibodies against oxidized LDL

Oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) is considered to play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis and increased levels of autoantibodies against oxidized LDL have been found in patients with various manifestations of atherosclerosis. Patients with vasculitis are prone to the development of atherosclerosis. Since production of radical oxygen species in these patients may result in increased production of oxidized LDL (Ox‐LDL), we hypothesized that antibodies against Ox‐LDL are elevated during lesion development in vasculitis. Therefore we measured anti Ox‐LDL antibodies in 25 patients with ANCA‐associated vasculitis and in 42 healthy controls using an ezyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in which malondialdehyde modified LDL (MDA‐LDL) was coated on microtitre plates. Anti Ox‐LDL antibodies were significantly higher in patients as compared to controls (P = 0·0001). Anti Ox‐LDL levels were also measured in 11 patients during active disease and in these same patients during complete remission. Anti Ox‐LDL levels were significantly higher in patients during active disease than during full remission (P = 0·001). Our results suggest that patients with ANCA‐associated vasculitis are more susceptible to oxidation of LDL, which may contribute to accelerated atherosclerosis development.