Neopterin predicts the risk for fatal ischemic heart disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus: long-term follow-up of the HUNT 1 study.
OBJECTIVE
Neopterin has emerged as a novel predictor of coronary events. The study aim was to compare the predictive value of neopterin and C-reactive protein (CRP) on long-term risk for fatal ischemic heart disease (IHD) in persons with newly diagnosed diabetes compared to persons without diabetes.


RESULTS
In 1984-1986 a large population study, HUNT 1, was conducted in Norway. During the study, 205 patients were diagnosed with formerly unknown diabetes. A matched control group without diabetes was selected from the HUNT 1 population. Fatal IHD was registered until 2004. Blood samples were drawn at baseline and serum was analysed for neopterin and CRP. Cox regression analysis with correction for age, gender, hypertension, body mass index, established cardiovascular disease and total cholesterol was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for fatal IHD. In the diabetes group, neopterin and CRP were independent predictors of fatal IHD, HR 2.59 (1.11-6.01) and 2.45 (1.05-5.69), respectively. Neither CRP nor neopterin were significant predictors of fatal IHD in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
In subjects with diabetes, both neopterin and CRP were independent predictors of fatal IHD, suggesting that these two markers reflect different aspects of the pathogenesis underlying fatal coronary events.
Vengen
Inga Thorsen
IT
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway.
Dale
Ane Cecilie
AC
Wiseth
Rune
R
Midthjell
Kristian
K
Videm
Vibeke
V
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D019798:Neopterin / Q000097:blood*; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D019798:Neopterin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein