title: Plasma haptoglobin concentrations are elevated in patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: Inflammation underlies the development and progression of coronary artery plaques. Haptoglobin (Hp) is an acute phase protein, the synthesis of which is increased during inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate plasma Hp concentrations and phenotype in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We recruited 359 patients with fixed luminal stenosis ≥50% in at least one coronary artery (CAD group) and 83 patients with luminal stenosis ≤40%, normal ejection fraction, and normal regional wall motion (control group). Plasma Hp concentrations were measured using a phenotype-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hp phenotype was determined by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Plasma lipid concentrations were measured. Plasma Hp concentrations were significantly higher in the CAD compared with the control group (262.4±144.2 vs 176.0±86.7 ng/mL, P<0.001); however, there was no between group difference in the distribution of Hp phenotype (1-1 = 7.5% vs 7.2%; 2-1 = 40.4% vs 42.2%; 2-2 = 52.1% vs 50.6%). Stepwise multivariate logistic regression revealed that high Hp concentrations (odds ratio [OR] = 5.865), male sex (OR = 3.689), hypertension (OR = 2.632), diabetes mellitus (OR = 3.300), and low-density lipoprotein concentrations (OR = 1.480) were independently associated with CAD (all P<0.05). Hp phenotype was not associated with CAD. Plasma Hp concentrations were significantly correlated with the severity of luminal stenosis (r = 0.236, P<0.001). Our findings suggest that plasma Hp concentrations may be elevated in patients with CAD. There does not appear to be any relationship between Hp phenotype and CAD.
authors.forename: Ching-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Tao-Yuan Branch, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chin-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tsai-Mu
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chih-Pei
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ju-Pin
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D012372:ROC Curve
chemical_list: D006242:Haptoglobins