title: Relation of plasma tissue kallikrein levels to presence and severity of coronary artery disease in a Chinese population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tissue kallikrein (TK) has been shown to provide cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protective effects in animal models. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of plasma TK levels with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Chinese.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 898 consecutive CAD patients and 905 ethnically and geographically matched controls. CAD was angiographically confirmed in all the patients, and the severity of CAD was expressed by the number of affected vessel and coronary artery stenosis scores. Plasma TK levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma TK levels were significantly higher in CAD patients than controls (0.347±.082 vs. 0.256±0.087 mg/L, P<0.001), and elevated plasma TK levels were directly associated with a higher risk of CAD (OR = 3.49, 95% CI 2.90-4.19). One-way ANOVA and multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis demonstrated that TK levels were negatively associated with the severity of CAD according to vessel scores (P<0.001) and stenosis scores (r = -0.211, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that higher levels of TK in plasma are associated with the presence of CAD and are a predictor of mild coronary arteriosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ran
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Hypertension and Department of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Dao Wen
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020840:Tissue Kallikreins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D020840:Tissue Kallikreins