Circulating soluble form of LR11, a regulator of smooth muscle cell migration, is a novel marker for intima-media thickness of carotid arteries in type 2 diabetes.
BACKGROUND
Smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration from the media to the intima, a process affecting plaque stability in advanced-stage atherosclerosis, is under the control of LR11. To delineate the clinical significance of the circulating soluble form of LR11 (sLR11) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), we analyzed the correlation of sLR11 levels with intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries.


METHODS
Plasma sLR11 levels were measured in 165 patients with T2D (mean age 56.2±10.4 y, 58.2% males, and BMI 24.6±3.6) by ELISA. Averaged IMT levels of common carotid arteries were determined by ultrasonography.


RESULTS
Circulating sLR11 levels were 9.8±3.5ng/ml, and correlated positively with the classical atherosclerosis risk factors age, sex, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), fasting plasma-glucose (FPG), and glycosylated hemoglobin. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that only FPG was associated with sLR11; sLR11 correlated positively with IMT, together with age and FPG, but less with LDL-C. Among the serum risk factors for IMT, multivariate linear regression analysis uncovered that sLR11 was independently associated with IMT. Subsequent logistic analysis revealed that FPG correlated best with IMT values at a cut-off of 0.80mm and sLR11 at a cut-off of 0.90mm, respectively, while LDL-C showed lower discriminatory power at any IMT cut-off values.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased sLR11 concentrations are highly associated with increased IMT as well as with FPG in middle-aged, non-obese patients with T2D. Circulating sLR11 may be a novel marker representing the pathophysiology of intimal SMCs in patients with T2D.
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji, China.
Wenlong
W
Jin
Department of Clinical-Laboratory and Experimental-Research Medicine, Toho University Sakura Medical Center, Sakura, Japan.
Meizi
M
Jiang
Department of Imaging Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji, China.
Xinhua
X
Han
Department of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji, China.
Xuehua
X
Han
Department of Clinical-Laboratory and Experimental-Research Medicine, Toho University Sakura Medical Center, Sakura, Japan.
Takeyoshi
T
Murano
Department of Clinical-Laboratory and Experimental-Research Medicine, Toho University Sakura Medical Center, Sakura, Japan.
Nobuyuki
N
Hiruta
Tsukuba Research Institute, Sekisui Medical Co. Ltd., Ryugasaki, Japan.
Hiroyuki
H
Ebinuma
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji, China.
Lianshan
L
Piao
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Wolfgang J
WJ
Schneider
Department of Clinical-Laboratory and Experimental-Research Medicine, Toho University Sakura Medical Center, Sakura, Japan. Electronic address: hideaki.bujo@med.toho-u.ac.jp.
Hideaki
H
Bujo
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000473:pathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D026502:LDL-Receptor Related Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D026502:LDL-Receptor Related Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C102582:SORL1 protein, human
IMT; LR11; Marker; Soluble form; Type 2 diabetes