title: Association of serum fetuin-A with carotid arterial stiffness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fetuin-A is a circulating glycoprotein which is well characterized as an inhibitor of ectopic calcification. Vascular calcification commonly found in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is a predictor of cardiovascular death. Recently, several groups have demonstrated that low fetuin-A levels are associated with mortality in uraemic patients, possibly through regulation of vascular calcification. However, the physiological significance of fetuin-A in atherosclerosis remains unknown, except in specific conditions, such as vascular calcification in CKD patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between serum fetuin-A levels and arterial stiffness, a functional property of atherosclerosis, in healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study subjects comprised 141 healthy subjects. We measured serum fetuin-A levels and stiffness parameter beta for the common carotid artery, which was assessed by ultrasound using a phase-locked echo-tracking system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Simple regression analyses indicated that serum fetuin-A levels were significantly correlated with stiffness parameter beta (r = 0.200, P = 0.018). Multiple regression analyses showed that, besides age, fetuin-A (beta = 0.166, P = 0.033) independently contribute to the stiffness parameter beta (R(2) = 0.310, P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum fetuin-A level is associated with carotid arterial stiffness, independent of known atherogenic factors in healthy subjects.
authors.affiliation: Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. ktmori@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Katsuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emoto
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: Hisayo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teramura
authors.forename: Eiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Koka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Motoyama
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014463:Ultrasonography; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins