Circulating retinol-binding protein 4 and subclinical cardiovascular disease in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated associations of serum retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) with subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD).


METHODS
Subclinical CVD was measured with echocardiography, carotid artery ultrasound, brachial artery ultrasound, and invasive forearm endothelial vasoreactivity in 1,008 70-year-old participants (50% women) of the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study.


RESULTS
In analyses adjusted for multiple CVD risk factors, we observed inverse associations of RBP4 with carotid artery intima-media (beta -0.39, 95% CI -0.55 to -0.22) and plaque (beta -0.33, 95% CI -0.60 to -0.05) echogenicity (gray scale median).


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating RBP4 concentrations were inversely associated with intima-media and plaque echogenicity in carotid arteries. These findings imply that RBP4 could be involved in the development of atherosclerosis.
Ingelsson
Erik
E
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. erik.ingelsson@ki.se
Lind
Lars
L
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D003971:Diastole; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology
D015415:Biomarkers; C101326:RBP4 protein, human; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma