Carbone F, et al. - In this investigation, researchers analyzed the role of osteopontin (OPN) as a biomarker of subclinical atherosclerosis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (ie, waist circumference, hypertension and dyslipidemia) and inflammatory status differed significantly in healthy controls and SLE patients. Findings suggested that serum OPN levels in patients with SLE were strongly linked to subclinical atherosclerosis and could be a useful CV biomarker requiring further validation in larger studies.