Fetuin-A is associated with calcified coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE
Fetuin-A is a circulating glycoprotein that is involved in various stages of atherosclerosis. Despite the fact that emerging evidence suggests fetuin-A acts as a calcification inhibitor that protects against advanced calcified atherosclerosis in dialyzed patients, the role of fetuin-A in cardiovascular disease is still controversial. As diabetes and uremia make the role of fetuin-A in cardiovascular disease uncertain, we investigated the association between fetuin-A and calcified coronary artery disease in participants without diabetes and renal dysfunction.


METHODS
Serum fetuin-A levels were measured in 92 participants who underwent coronary angiography. The number of diseased vessels and the presence of calcification were evaluated.


RESULTS
Fetuin-A levels significantly decreased in patients with advanced three-vessel disease compared with those without stenosis (245.5+/-50.9, 289.0+/-71.8 microg/ml, respectively; P<0.05). Likewise, fetuin-A levels were significantly lower in patients with coronary artery calcification compared with those without coronary artery calcification (257.1+/-49.7, 288.0+/-63.1 microg/ml, respectively; P = 0.010). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that fetuin-A levels inversely correlated with the presence of coronary artery calcification (odds ratio: 0.54; 95% confidence interval: 0.31-0.92; P = 0.025).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum fetuin-A levels inversely correlated with advanced calcified coronary artery disease.
Mori
Katsuhito
K
Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan. ktmori@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
Ikari
Yuji
Y
Jono
Shuichi
S
Emoto
Masanori
M
Shioi
Atsushi
A
Koyama
Hidenori
H
Shoji
Tetsuo
T
Ishimura
Eiji
E
Inaba
Masaaki
M
Hara
Kazuhiro
K
Nishizawa
Yoshiki
Y
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018450:Disease Progression; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein
C556354:AHSG protein, human; D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein