Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and the progression of carotid intima-media thickness – 24-month follow-up study –.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), a soluble receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and vascular disease has not been established, so this study aimed to elucidate the association between sFlt-1 and the progression of carotid intima - media thickness (IMT) in hypertensive patients.


RESULTS
The 120 hypertensive patients under medical control were enrolled and 112 completed the study (age 59 ± 9 years, 57 females). Plasma VEGF and sFlt-1 levels were measured at enrollment. At baseline and 24-month visit, carotid IMT was measured and the association between sFlt-1 and IMT progression was assessed by linear regression. At baseline, age (r=0.186) and low level of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C <40 mg/dl, r=0.214) were significantly related to carotid IMT. Over the 24 months, carotid IMT increased from 0.670 ± 0.089 mm to 0.696 ± 0.095 mm. There was a positive correlation between sFlt-1 tertiles and IMT change (P=0.05 by ANOVA). Upon multivariate analysis, log-transformed sFlt-1 level (β=0.137, P=0.003) and low HDL-C (β=0.048, P=0.04) were identified as predictors of IMT progression, independent of other confounding variables.


CONCLUSIONS
High sFlt-1 level is predictive of carotid IMT progression in hypertensive patients. Low HDL-C level was also associated with IMT change. These observations support a high sFlt-1 level being indicative of progression of atherosclerosis.
Shin
Sanghoon
S
Cardiology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Lee
Sang-Hak
SH
Park
Sungha
S
Kang
Seok-Min
SM
Chung
Namsik
N
Shim
Won-Heum
WH
Cho
Seung-Yun
SY
Manabe
Ichiro
I
Jang
Yangsoo
Y
D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1