title: Serum osteoprotegerin and carotid intima-media thickness in acute/chronic coronary artery diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Osteoprotegerin (OPG) plays a key role in atherosclerosis progression and plaque destabilization. We investigated the relationship between intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CCA-IMT; an early marker of atherosclerosis) and OPG levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and chronic coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 133 consecutive patients, mean age 65 ± 9 years, referred to our department for coronary angiography. They were evaluated for cardiovascular risk factors, OPG levels and CCA-IMT and accordingly divided in two subgroups: ACS and chronic CAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Except for age, the two groups were similar according to conventional cardiovascular risk factors. The chronic CAD group showed a CCA-IMT lower than the ACS group (0.86 ± 0.15 vs. 0.94 ± 0.22 mm, P = 0.027); there were no differences regarding the extension of coronary atherosclerosis on angiograms. The OPG levels were higher in chronic CAD patients than in ACS patients (5.36 ± 3.06 vs. 3.85 ± 2.96 pmol/l, P = 0.004). Moreover, the CCA-IMT was significantly correlated with the age of the patients (r = 0.5; P < 0.001). OPG values were not related either to age or to the CCA-IMT. At analysis of covariance, when adjusting the groups for age, the comparison of the two groups lost statistical significance for CCA-IMT (P = 0.41), whereas the OPG values remained significant after the correction (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OPG levels are higher in chronic CAD patients. CCA-IMT confirmed its importance in predicting CAD, showing significantly higher values in the patients in the ACS group as compared with those in the chronic CAD group.
authors: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy. ciccone@cardio.uniba.it
authors: Marco M
authors: MM
authors: Ciccone
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Scicchitano
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Gesualdo
authors: Annapaola
authors: A
authors: Zito
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Carbonara
authors: Manuela
authors: M
authors: Locorotondo
authors: Cosimo
authors: C
authors: Mandurino
authors: Filippo
authors: F
authors: Masi
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Boccalini
authors: Mario E
authors: ME
authors: Lepera
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D053244:Osteoprotegerin