title: Association of circulating angiogenesis inhibitors and asymmetric dimethyl arginine with coronary plaque burden.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent risk factor for the development and severity of coronary artery disease (CHD) and endothelial dysfunction. There is an increase in the circulating angiogenesis inhibitors endostatin (END), thrombospondin-2 (TSP), angiopoietin-2 (ANG) and the nitric oxide (NO) inhibitor asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA) in CKD patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations of the serum level of these factors and of the related angiogenesis inhibitor, endoglin (ENG), with burden of coronary atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty-two patients undergoing coronary angiography were recruited from the cardiac catheterization lab at a single center. The total burden of coronary plaque (mm(2)) and the presence of coronary collaterals were quantified using quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). Serum levels of angiogenesis inhibitors were measured by ELISA (ENG, END, and ANG), Luminex assay (TSP), or HLPC (ADMA), respectively. Associations with plaque burden and coronary collateral supply were analyzed in multi-variable linear and logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant association found between levels of circulating ADMA, ENG, END, ANG, or TSP and coronary plaque burden or collateral formation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that associations of circulating END, ENG, TSP, and ANG with cardiovascular mortality are unlikely to be mediated via direct effects on coronary plaque formation or by inhibition of collateral formation. Whether associations of these factors with mortality are mediated via local concentrations, myocardial tissue, or intra-plaque expression of these factors or by an effect on plaque vulnerability merits additional investigation.
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA USA.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Charytan
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA USA.
authors.forename: Angeles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cinelli
authors.affiliation: Departments of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center, Georg-August University, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Göttingen, 37075 Germany ; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Elisabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zeisberg