title: Angiopoietin-2, its soluble receptor Tie-2 and subclinical cardiovascular disease in a population-based sample.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Higher circulating Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) levels predict cardiovascular events and mortality in clinical samples and in the general population. To better understand the underlying mechanisms, we investigated the association of circulating Ang-2 and sTie-2 (the soluble form of the Ang-2 receptor) levels with various measures of subclinical cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional data of 3204 participants (1654 women) aged 25-88 years from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania were analysed. LV mass (LVM) and fractional shortening were determined echocardiographically as indices of cardiac structure and function, respectively. Intima media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery, the number of carotid plaques and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were used to characterise large and medium-sized arterial structure and function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariable-adjusted linear and negative binomial regression models revealed an inverse association of circulating Ang-2 levels (independent variable) with fractional shortening (ß=-0.51 per 1 SD increment; 95% CI -0.86 to -0.16, p=0.005) and a positive association with number of carotid plaques (rate ratio=1.04 95% CI 1.01 to 1.07, p=0.019). No associations of Ang-2 or sTie-2 with LVM, IMT and FMD were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating Ang-2 levels were associated with select subclinical cardiovascular disease traits, consistent with the notion that the Ang-2-pathway plays a role in mediating cardiovascular morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorbeer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Baumeister
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Greifswald, Germany DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dörr
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Greifswald, Germany DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.affiliation: DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Greifswald, Germany Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nauck
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grotevendt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcello R P
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6234-4955
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: von Sarnowski
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, Greifswald, Germany DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Völzke
authors.affiliation: Preventive Medicine & Epidemiology Section, Boston University School of Medicine and Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Ramachandran S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Vasan
authors.affiliation: DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Greifswald, Germany Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wallaschofski
authors.affiliation: Institute for Epidemiology, Christian Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lieb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2 / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D042702:Angiopoietin-2; D015415:Biomarkers; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2