Lack of Association between Serum Cystatin C Levels and Coronary Artery Disease in Diabetic Patients.
BACKGROUND
Serum cystatin C level is a more sensitive marker of renal dysfunction than serum creatinine level. Serum cystatin C level was recently reported to predict the development of cardiovascular disease. This study was performed to evaluate whether the cystatin C level is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), independent of diabetic nephropathy.


METHODS
We conducted a case-control study to assess the relationship between serum cystatin C level and coronary artery disease in diabetic patients. Among 460 diabetic patients, 38 diabetic patients had CAD. The control group consisted of 38 diabetic patients who were matched to cases by age, sex, and presence/absence of diabetic nephropathy. Serum cystatin C level was measured in stored samples.


RESULTS
Serum cystatin C level was significantly higher in patients with diabetic nephropathy, both in CAD and non-CAD patients. However, serum cystatin C level did not differ between CAD and non-CAD patients, regardless of diabetic nephropathy.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum cystatin C level is a marker of renal dysfunction, but not coronary artery disease, in diabetic patients.
Kim
Eun Hee
EH
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Yu
Ji Hee
JH
Lee
Sang Ah
SA
Kim
Eui Young
EY
Kim
Won Gu
WG
Lee
Seung Hun
SH
Cho
Eun Hee
EH
Koh
Eun Hee
EH
Lee
Woo Je
WJ
Kim
Min-Seon
MS
Park
Joong-Yeol
JY
Lee
Ki-Up
KU