title: Serum levels of FGF-21 are increased in coronary heart disease patients and are independently associated with adverse lipid profile.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) is a metabolic regulator with multiple beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism in animal models. The relationship between plasma levels of FGF-21 and coronary heart disease (CHD) in unknown.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study aimed to investigate the correlation of serum FGF-21 levels and lipid metabolism in the patients with coronary heart disease. We performed a logistic regression analysis of the relation between serum levels of FGF-21 and CHD patients with and without diabetes and hypertension. This study was conducted in the Departments of Endocrinology and Cardiovascular Diseases at two University Hospitals. Participants consisted of one hundred and thirty-five patients who have been diagnosed to have CHD and sixty-one control subjects. Serum FGF-21 level and levels of fasting blood glucose; triglyceride; apolipoprotein B100; HOMA-IR; insulin; total cholesterol; HDL-cholesterol; LDL-cholesterol; and C-reactive protein were measured. We found that median serum FGF-21 levels were significantly higher in CHD than that of control subjects (P<0.0001). Serum FGF-21 levels in CHD patients with diabetes, hypertension, or both were higher than that of patients without these comorbidities. Serum FGF-21 levels correlated positively with triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, apolipoprotein B100, insulin and HOMA-IR but negatively with HDL-C and apolipoprotein A1 after adjusting for BMI, diabetes and hypertension. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that FGF-21 showed an independent association with triglyceride and apolipoprotein A1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High levels of FGF-21 are associated with adverse lipid profiles in CHD patients. The paradoxical increase of serum FGF-21 in CHD patients may indicate a compensatory response or resistance to FGF-21.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhuofeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Yanlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Shaoqiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Xiaojie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenke
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Xiaokun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; C414620:fibroblast growth factor 21; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D005947:Glucose