title: Serum osteoprotegerin levels in patients with acute atherothrombotic stroke and lacunar infarct.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterial calcification is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a cytokine involved in the bone metabolism and vascular calcification. Recent data support a relationship between high serum levels of OPG and increased risk for cardiovascular disease in human. The aim of this study was to evaluate the OPG serum levels in acute ischemic stroke. Our study was further designed to detect differences in serum OPG levels between subtypes of ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study consisted of 51 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 28 control subjects. Stroke subtypes were defined by the TOAST classifications. Serum OPG levels were measured with the ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OPG serum levels were significantly higher in patients with ischemic stroke than in control subjects (p<0.001). OPG serum levels were significantly higher in large-vessel disease (LVD) subtype compared with small-vessel disease (SVD) subtype and controls (p<0.001, p<0.001). There was no significant difference in OPG serum levels between SVD group and control subjects. Serum OPG levels were correlated with age (r=0.407, p=0.005) and fasting glucose levels (r=0.542, p=0.001) in ischemic stroke group. Logistic regression analysis showed that plasma OPG levels (OR 2.1, 95% CI, 1.16 to 3.4, p=0.01) associated with presence of stroke independently of the other risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High serum OPG levels were associated with the LVD stroke subtype, suggesting that OPG levels may play role in pathogenesis of atherothrombotic stroke. The precise mechanism for the role of OPG in atherosclerosis needs to be investigated further.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Social Security Hospital, Edirne, Turkey. sguldiken@trakya.edu.tr
authors.forename: Baburhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guldiken
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guldiken
authors.forename: Burhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turgut
authors.forename: Nilda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Turgut
authors.forename: Muzaffer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arikan
authors.forename: Armagan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tugrul
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D050379:Arteriolosclerosis / Q000097:blood; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000097:blood; D002545:Brain Ischemia; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D053244:Osteoprotegerin