title: Serum level of pigment epithelium-derived factor is a marker of atherosclerosis in humans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) could play a protective role against atherosclerosis. However, there is no clinical study to examine the relationship between serum level of PEDF and atherosclerosis in humans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study involved 317 consecutive outpatients in Kurume University Hospital (220 male and 97 female) with a mean age of 62.1±9.1. We examined whether serum level of PEDF were independently associated with vascular inflammation evaluated by [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and intima-media thickness (IMT) in carotid artery in humans. Carotid [(18)F]-FDG uptake, an index of vascular inflammation within the atherosclerotic plaques, was measured as standardized uptake value (SUV). Mean serum PEDF level, carotid SUV and IMT values were 13.5±1.1 μg/mL, 1.34±0.19, and 0.71±0.15 mm, respectively. In multiple stepwise regression analysis, estimated glomerular filtration rate (p<0.001), males (p<0.001), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (p<0.05), heart rate (p<0.05), triglycerides (p<0.05), carotid IMT (p<0.05), waist circumference (p<0.05) and carotid SUV (p<0.05) were independently correlated to PEDF level (R(2)=0.332).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study reveals that serum level of PEDF is independently associated with vascular inflammation and IMT, thus suggesting that PEDF level is a novel biomarker that could reflect atherosclerosis in humans.
authors: Department of Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan. ntahara@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors: Nobuhiro
authors: N
authors: Tahara
authors: Sho-ichi
authors: S
authors: Yamagishi
authors: Atsuko
authors: A
authors: Tahara
authors: Yoshikazu
authors: Y
authors: Nitta
authors: Norihiro
authors: N
authors: Kodama
authors: Minori
authors: M
authors: Mizoguchi
authors: Dilbahar
authors: D
authors: Mohar
authors: Masatoshi
authors: M
authors: Ishibashi
authors: Naofumi
authors: N
authors: Hayabuchi
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Imaizumi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000378:metabolism; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D015843:Serpins / Q000097:blood*; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005136:Eye Proteins; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D015843:Serpins; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor