Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2011.812.816ShakeriAbolhassan BazzazMohammad Babaei KhabbaziAlireza FouladiRohollah Fadaei 1220111416This study aimed to evaluate color Doppler sonographic findings in carotid arteries in RA patients under pharmacological treatments and to compare them with normal population. Forty nine patients with late RA and 48 healthy age and sex-matched controls were recruited. The two groups were matched for other known risk factors of atherosclerosis including serum lipid abnormalities, smoking status, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. High resolution B-mode color Doppler ultrasound with a 7 MHz transducer was used for measuring the Common Carotid Intima-Medial Thickness (CCIMT) in both sides in all subjects. Presence of atherosclerotic plaque was also investigated. The mean left and maximum CCIMT was significantly higher in the case group (0.72 vs. 0.62 mm for the left artery; p<0.01; 0.72 vs. 0.64 mm for the maximum reading; p = 0.01). No atherosclerotic plaque was found in common carotid arteries. There were 3 (6.1), 7 (14.3) and 9 (18.4%) plaques in left internal carotid artery, right carotid bulb and left carotid bulb in the case group, respectively with no atherosclerotic plaques in the controls (p = 0.24, 0.01 and <0.001, respectively). Comparing the findings by gender in the case group with the controls, the mentioned significant differences were only between the male patients and the controls. The process of atherosclerosis in RA patients is similar to that in normal population. However, it is apparently accelerated and more advanced in these patients.]]>Ala, S., M. Shokrzadeh, A.M.P. Shojah and S.S.S. Saravi,20091210411044Alaee, A. and M. Khademloo.20081123602363Arnett, F.C., S.M. Edworthy, D.A. Bloch, D.J. McShane and J.F. Fries et al.,198831315324Baig, M.S., S.M. Humail, S.I. Zaidi, S. Noor, S. Bano, S. Rehman and A. Fawwad,200912339345Carotti, M., F. Salaffi, M. Mangiacotti, A. Cerioni, G.M. Giuseppetti and W. Grassi,2007593849Cuomo, G., P. Di Micco, A. Niglio, G. La Montagna and G. Valentini,200456242246Del Rincon, I., K. Williams, M.P. Stern, G.L. Freeman, D.H. O'Leary and A. Escalante,20034818331840Deo, S.S., A.R. Chogle, K.J. Mistry, R.R. Shetty and S.B. Londhe,20103157168El-Awady, H.M., A.S. El-Dien El-Wakkad, M.T. Saleh, S.I. Muhammad and E.M. Ghaniema,20071014711476Diaz, Jde D.G., A.L. de Guzman, M.I.D.P. de la Vacas, E.C. Quintana and A.S. Atrio,2008130210222Geroulakos, G., D.J. O'Gorman, E. Kalodiki, D.J. Sheridan and S.N. Nicolaides,199415781785Georgiadis, A.N., P.V. Voulgari, M.I. Argyropoulou, Y. Alamanos, M. Elisaf, A.D. Tselepis and A.A. Drosos,2008381319Hannawi, S., B. Haluska, T.H. Marwick and R. Thomas,20072007Haroun, M.,20044270275Jaarin, K., M. Norhayati, G. Norzana, U. Nor Aini and S. Ima-Nirwana,200651929Jonsson, S.W., C. Backman, O. Johnson, K. Karp, E. Lundstrom, K.G. Sundqvist and S.R. Dahlqvist,20012825972602Kandil, M.E., A. El Hamshary and N.A.R. Emara,20077716723Kerekes, G., Z. Szekanecz, H. Der, Z. Sandor and G. Lakos et al.,200835398406Khan, M.O.A., E. Mohiuddin, K. Usmanghani, A. Hannan, M. Akram, S.M.A. Shah and M. Asif,2011105153Leskinen, Y., T. Lehtimaki, A. Loimaala, V. Lautamatti and T. Kallio et al.,2003171295302Maradit-Kremers, H., P.J. Nicola, C.S. Crowson, K.V. Ballman and S.E. Gabriel,200552722732Miasoedova, E.E., S.E. Miasoedova and S.V. Obzherina,2009873741Mikovanov, IuS, MIu, Dzitoeva, E.M. Shilov, V.V. Safonov, V.A. Brazhnik and L.N. Savina,2006785559Myllykangas-Luosujarvi, R., K. Aho, H. Kautiainen and H. Isomaki,19952210651067Lowenhoff, T. and P. Gluszko,20056215061509Nourmohammadi, I., S. Athari-Nikazm, M.R. Vafa, A. Bidari and S. Jazayeri et al.,2010106366Park, Y.B., C.W. Ahn, H.K. Choi, S.H. Lee and B.H. In et al.,20024617141719Pereira, I., I. Laurindo, R. Burlingame, L. Anjos, V. Viana, E. Leon, M. Vendramini and E. Borba,200875416421Pereira, I.A., I.M. Laurindo, A.F. Zimmermann, G.R.W. Castro, F. Mello and E.F. Borba,2009345864Rossi, A., L. Bonfante, A. Giacomini, A. Calabro and G. Rossi et al.,1996275866Schott, L.L., A.H. Kao, A. Cunningham, R.P. Wildman, L.H. Kuller, K. Sutton-Tyrrell and M.C. Wasko,2009182129Shaaban, F.A., I.M. Metwally, S.M. Samy, I.I. Salama and A.I. Hassanin,20066561568Sherer, Y. and Y. Shoenfeld,2006299106Shoenfeld, Y., R. Gerli, A. Doria, E. Matsuura, M.M. Cerinic,200511233373347Sidiropoulos, P.I., P. Siakka, K. Pagonidis, A. Raptopoulou, H. Kritikos, D. Tsetis and D.T. Boumpas,200938610Turiel, M., F. Atzeni, L. Tomasoni, S. de Portu and L. Delfino et al.,200948834839Van Zanten, J.J.C.S.V. and G.D. Kitas,20082008Wallberg-Jonsson, S., M.L. Ohman and S.R. Dahlqvist,199724445451