title: The association of circulating inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarker levels with diagonal earlobe crease in patients with atherosclerotic diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Earlobe creases (ELC) are frequently observed in patients with atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is considered to be a systemic vascular inflammatory disease, and oxidative stress is known to be a contributor to vascular inflammation. It is well known that inflammatory biomarkers [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), pentraxin3 (PTX3)] and oxidative stress markers [malondialdehyde low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL)] are associated with atherosclerotic changes. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress are increased in patients with ELC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 223 consecutive patients with atherosclerotic risk factors were enrolled and divided into two groups. One group consisted of patients with ELC (ELC group, n=134) and the other was without ELC (non-ELC group, n=89). Medical information and biomarker levels related to atherosclerosis were acquired from these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The male ratio, prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and MDA-LDL, hs-CRP, and PTX3 levels were found to be higher in the ELC group, compared with the non-ELC group. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that PTX3 levels, rather than hs-CRP, constituted the strongest predictive factor for the appearance of ELC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vascular inflammation and oxidative stress are associated with the presence of ELC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan. Electronic address: hirow@doc.med.akita-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007249:Inflammation; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C569869:malondialdehyde-low density lipoprotein, human; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Earlobe crease; High-sensitivity C-reactive protein; Inflammatory response; Malondialdehyde low-density lipoprotein; Oxidative stress; Pentraxin3