title: Elevated serum levels of pigment epithelium-derived factor in the metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis with neuronal differentiating activity, inhibits endothelial cell injury in vitro, thus suggesting the involvement of PEDF in atherosclerosis. Therefore, elucidating the relationship between serum levels of PEDF and coronary risk factors could provide a clue to understanding the pathophysiological role of PEDF in vivo.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined whether serum levels of PEDF were associated with risk factors for coronary artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed as a cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was set within the general community.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 196 general Japanese residents (age 65.7 +/- 9.3 yr; 71 males and 125 females) without clinical evidence of coronary or peripheral arterial occlusive diseases were enrolled in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PEDF showed a normal distribution, ranging from 8-24 microg/ml, with a mean of 14.6 +/- 3.2 microg/ml. Multivariate analyses revealed that uric acid (P < 0.001), waist circumference (P = 0.009), insulin (P = 0.019), and triglycerides (P = 0.028) were significant independent determinants of serum PEDF levels. Age- and uric acid-adjusted PEDF levels were significantly higher (P = 0.048 for men and P = 0.007 for women) in proportion to the accumulation of the number of the components of the metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study reveals that serum levels of PEDF are strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome. Our results suggest that serum PEDF levels may be elevated as a counter-system in the metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan. shoichi@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Sho-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yashiro
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furuki
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jinnouchi
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imaizumi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015843:Serpins / Q000097:blood*; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D015843:Serpins; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor