title: Osteoprotegerin is Associated With Endothelial Function and Predicts Early Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease.
abstract: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a soluble glycoprotein belonging to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily and is linked to vascular atherosclerosis and calcification. The carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) correlates with carotid atherosclerosis and is a significant predictor of cardiovascular events. The OPG levels are associated with the CIMT in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this pathway remain unclear. We investigated 114 CAD patients (89 men, 25 women; mean age: 68.7 ± 10.3 years) and measured the Gensini score (a marker of the extent of coronary atherosclerosis), the mean CIMT and the plasma levels of OPG and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA; a marker of endothelial function). Early carotid atherosclerosis was defined as a mean CIMT > 1.0 mm. Only 33 of the 114 patients (28.9%) had early carotid atherosclerosis. Patients with early carotid atherosclerosis had higher OPG levels than those without. The OPG levels were found to be significantly associated with ADMA (r = 0.191, P = 0.046) and the mean CIMT (r = 0.319, P = 0.001), but not with the Gensini score. A receiver operating curve analysis revealed the optimal cut-off value of the OPG levels for predicting early carotid atherosclerosis to be 100 pmol/L. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed OPG ≥ 100 pmol/L to be significantly and independently associated with early carotid atherosclerosis (odds ratio: 2.98, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-7.20, P = 0.017). These data indicate that OPG is significantly associated with endothelial function and predicts early carotid atherosclerosis in patients with CAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Tama-Nagayama Hospital, Nippon Medical School.
authors.forename: Taichirou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morisawa
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakagomi
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kohashi
authors.forename: Munenori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kosugi
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kusama
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Atarashi
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; C506030:TNFRSF11B protein, human; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine