Association of osteoprotegerin with aortic stiffness in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease and in healthy subjects.
BACKGROUND
Arterial stiffening is an independent predictor for cardiovascular mortality. Preliminary studies have shown that arterial calcification may have an impact on increased vascular stiffness. However, there are limited data about the role of calcification inhibitor osteoprotegerin (OPG) as an independent predictor for arterial stiffness in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and in healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between OPG and arterial stiffness parameters in patients with PAD and in healthy subjects.


METHODS
We studied 69 men with PAD (age 63 + or - 7 years) and 68 healthy subjects (age 54 + or - 8 years). Serum OPG and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Radial and aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) and augmentation index (AIx) were determined by applanation tonometry.


RESULTS
The OPG (5.4 + or - 1.7 vs. 4.4 + or - 1.1 pmol/l; P < 0.001) and aPWV (10.1 + or - 2.5 vs. 7.6 + or - 1.6 m/s; P < 0.001) were different for the patients and for the controls. There was a linear relationship between OPG and aPWV in patients with PAD (R = 0.37; P = 0.003) and in healthy individuals (R = 0.40; P = 0.001). In multiple regression models after adjustment for potential confounders, OPG was independently associated with aPWV in the patients (R(2) = 0.47; P < 0.0001) and in the controls (R(2) = 0.44; P < 0.0001). The AIx or radial PWV was not correlated with OPG for either group.


CONCLUSIONS
The independent association between OPG and aPWV in patients with PAD and in controls suggests that the calcification inhibitor OPG may influence aortic stiffening in atherosclerosis and in clinically healthy subjects.
Zagura
Maksim
M
Department of Biochemistry, Centre of Excellence for Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. Maksim.Zagura@kliinikum.ee
Serg
Martin
M
Kampus
Priit
P
Zilmer
Mihkel
M
Zilmer
Kersti
K
Eha
Jaan
J
Unt
Eve
E
Lieberg
Jüri
J
Kals
Jaak
J
D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D014655:Vascular Resistance
D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein