title: Cystatin C: a better marker to detect coronary artery sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nowadays, early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease patients from getting worse and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. Cystatin C (Cys-C) is a new marker for renal dysfunction. This study investigated whether Cys-C played an important role for screening coronary artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The consecutive 88 outpatients (51 males and 37 females), who were suspected of having effort angina pectoris or asymptomatic ischemic heart disease, were enrolled. Serum Cys-C, which was obtained within 3 months before coronary angiography, was assessed with the presence or absence of coronary arteriosclerosis, the number of culprit arteries, and blood biochemical parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean serum Cys-C was 0.82+/-0.29 mg/l. Significant differences in the estimated creatinine clearance (p=0.036), hemoglobin A1c (p=0.01), left ventricular ejection fraction (p=0.01), creatinine (p=0.007), Cys-C (p=0.006), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (p=0.001) were observed between the patients with or without coronary arteriosclerosis. Serum Cys-C was significantly greater in the multi-vessel disease (MVD) group than the 0 vessel disease (0VD) group (p<0.001). HDL cholesterol was significantly lower in the MVD group than the 0VD and single-vessel disease groups (p=0.002 and p=0.005, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest Cys-C might be one of the risk factors for coronary arteriosclerosis in the patients with suspected ischemic heart disease without any history of coronary artery disease. Cys-C was a useful marker to detect coronary artery disease and the level of Cys-C could reflect the severity of coronary arteriosclerosis.
authors: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki-City, Kanagawa, 216-8511 Japan. sekimal@marianna-u.ac.jp
authors: Hiromitsu
authors: H
authors: Sekizuka
authors: Yoshihiro J
authors: YJ
authors: Akashi
authors: Kensuke
authors: K
authors: Kawasaki
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Yamauchi
authors: Haruki
authors: H
authors: Musha
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055316:Cystatin C / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D055316:Cystatin C