title: Fetuin-A is associated with calcified coronary artery disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan. ktmori@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Katsuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikari
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jono
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emoto
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shioi
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ishimura
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: C556354:AHSG protein, human; D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein