title: Osteoprotegerin as a marker of atherosclerosis in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the availability of osteoprotegerin (OPG) as a marker of atherosclerosis and compare serum OPG levels with ankle-brachial index (ABI) in diabetic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 31 type 1 and 31 type 2 diabetic patients without macrovascular complications and 20 healthy volunteers were included. Serum OPG levels and ABI were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The duration of diabetes was significantly higher in type 1 diabetics than in type 2, although there was no significant difference between mean HbA1c levels. There was a weak and inverse correlation between OPG and atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetics only (P = 0.046, r = -0.360). There was a weak, positive correlation between ABI and HbA1c in all participant groups (P = 0.047, r = 0.220), and a weak-medium correlation in type 2 diabetics (P = 0.021, r = 0.414). After the adjustment of OPG levels to atherosclerosis risk factors, only the age factor was found to be effective on OPG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The inverse correlation of serum OPG with atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetics suggests that atherosclerosis may be related to increased duration of diabetes. Since the study participants did not show macrovascular complications, future prospective studies on the development of diabetic complications and correlation with OPG might give further information about the availability of OPG as a marker of atherosclerosis.
authors.forename: Ciğdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alkaç
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alkaç
authors.forename: Feray
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akbaş
authors.forename: Hale
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aral
authors.forename: Yeşim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karagöz
authors.forename: Esma Güldal
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Altunoğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053244:Osteoprotegerin