WEBINAR SERIES—Inflammation and Immunophysiology: An Exploration of Pathophysiology—Premature Vascular Disease in Autoimmunity

October 7, 2021
11 a.m. EDT

Patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, have a striking increase in risk to develop vascular complications such as heart attack and stroke. Immune dysregulation characteristic of these diseases appears to play a prominent role in this enhanced risk. This presentation will highlight the role of the immune system in the development of vasculopathy and premature atherosclerosis in systemic autoimmunity, and discuss potential strategies to prevent these devastating complications.

Key learning objectives:

• to review the epidemiology of premature vascular disease in systemic autoimmunity,
• to review the pathogenic mechanisms that lead to vascular damage in patients with autoimmunity, and
• to discuss potential therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat vascular damage in patients with autoimmune diseases.

Presenter

Mariana J. Kaplan, MD, is chief of the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland. Her research focuses on unraveling fundamental mechanisms that confer susceptibility to develop a break in immunologic tolerance, as well as enhance our understanding of the innate and adaptive immune pathways crucial to the initiation and perpetuation of these autoimmune responses in systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases. In addition, her lab focuses on identifying the immunologic pathways that lead to specific clinical phenotypes and the promotion of end-organ damage in systemic autoimmunity. As treatments to suppress aberrant immune responses have improved and patients with systemic autoimmunity can survive for longer periods of time, the prevalence of end-stage complications including the development of accelerated atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction has increased. Kaplan’s research team is interested in identifying the immune pathways that promote premature vascular damage in systemic autoimmunity to identify potential preventive strategies.