title: Plasma osteopontin levels are elevated in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The regions of ruptured atherosclerotic plaques have numerous macrophages. Osteopontin that modulates macrophage function has been shown in atherosclerotic plaques. We aimed to study the plasma levels of osteopontin in patients with unstable angina or non-ST-seg ment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and the rela tionship between osteopontin and the extent of the coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 65 patients with unstable angina or NSTEMI, 25 patients with stable angina and 18 patients as the control group. The extent of coronary artery stenosis was determined by the number of vessels with >50% stenosis. Plasma osteopontin concentrations were measured from the blood samples that were drawn immediately after admission to the emergency department in unstable angina/NSTEMI patients and before the coronary angiograph in the stable angina and control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plasma osteopontin concentration was (495 118 ng/ml) significantly higher in the patients with unstable angina/NSTEMI compared to the stable angina group (319 106 ng/ml) and control group (125+/-54 ng/ml) (p=0.0001 The plasma osteopontin levels were lower in the patients with stable angina pectoris who had one-vessel disease compared to those with two-vessel disease (p=0.01). How ever, in the unstable angina/NSTEMI group, the plasma osteopontin levels were statistically not different among the patients with one-vessel, and two-vessel and three-vessel disease (p=NS). There was no correlation between the plasma osteopontin levels and the extent of coronary stenosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The plasma osteopontin levels are elevatedin patients with unstable angina/NSTEMI, but there appears to be no correlation with the extent of CAD. These results ma suggest that osteopontin may have a role in the pathobiology of ACS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selçuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Atalar
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Bunyamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.forename: Necla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goker
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ovünç
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aksöyek
authors.forename: Sirri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kes
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sivri
authors.forename: Serafettin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirazli
authors.forename: Ferhan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozmen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000097:blood; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood*; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053495:Osteopontin