Atherosclerotic biomarkers and aortic atherosclerosis by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in the Framingham Heart Study.
BACKGROUND
The relations between subclinical atherosclerosis and inflammatory biomarkers have generated intense interest but their significance remains unclear. We sought to determine the association between a panel of biomarkers and subclinical aortic atherosclerosis in a community-based cohort.


RESULTS
We evaluated 1547 participants of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort who attended the 7th examination cycle and underwent both cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and assays for 10 biomarkers associated with atherosclerosis: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-6, interleukin-18, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase-A2 activity and mass, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, P-selectin, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-2. In logistic regression analysis, we found no significant association between the biomarker panel and the presence of aortic plaque (global P=0.53). Using Tobit regression with aortic plaque as a continuous variable, we noted a modest association between biomarker panel and aortic plaque volume in age- and sex-adjusted analyses (P=0.003). However, this association was attenuated after further adjustment for clinical covariates (P=0.09).


CONCLUSIONS
In our community-based cohort, we found no significant association between our multibiomarker panel and aortic plaque. Our results underscore the strengths and limitations of the use of biomarkers for the identification of subclinical atherosclerosis and the importance of traditional risk factors.
Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Susie N
SN
Hong
Philimon
P
Gona
Joao D
JD
Fontes
Noriko
N
Oyama
Raymond H
RH
Chan
Satish
S
Kenchaiah
Connie W
CW
Tsao
Susan B
SB
Yeon
Renate B
RB
Schnabel
John F
JF
Keaney
Christopher J
CJ
O'Donnell
Emelia J
EJ
Benjamin
Warren J
WJ
Manning
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000473:pathology*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators
aorta; atherosclerosis; biomarkers; cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging