Endothelial dysfunction in axial spondyloarthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Spondyloarthritis is a group of musculoskeletal inflammatory diseases, including axial and peripheral forms. The current classification of these diseases emphasizes the diagnostic importance of the well-known association between spondyloarthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis). According to many large clinical studies, both spondyloarthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases demonstrate increased cardiovascular risk, but the underlying mechanisms are not entirely clear. One of the possible ways to involve the cardiovascular system in these diseases is supposed to be the formation of endothelial vascular dysfunction developing in many inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions. At the same time, endothelial dysfunction needs to be analyzed multidimensionally due to its participation in regulation of many processes, such as the providing of vascular tone, cell migration, angiogenesis, and hemostasis. This review examines the latest data on endothelial dysfunction in axial spondyloarthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases, and separately analyzes the studies of this phenomenon in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases-associated axial spondyloarthritis. Special attention is paid to modern laboratory and instrumental methods for assessing endothelial function and their potential diagnostic significance in clinical practice.