title: High circulating osteoprotegerin levels are associated with non-zero blood groups.
abstract: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and von Willebrand factor (VWF) form complex within endothelial cells and following secretion. The nature of blood group antigens strongly influences the levels of circulating VWF, but there is no available data concerning its ascendancy on OPG levels. We aimed to assess the relationship of AB0 blood groups with OPG, VWF levels (VWF: Ag) and collagen binding activity (VWF: CB) in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients.
  
  
  
  Functional and laboratory parameters of 105 PAD patients and 109 controls were examined. Results of OPG, VWF: Ag, VWF: CB (ELISA-s) were analysed by comparative statistics, together with clinical data.
  
  
  
  OPG levels were higher in patients than in controls (4.64 ng/mL vs. 3.68 ng/mL, p < 0.001). Among patients elevation was marked in the presence of critical limb ischemia (5.19 ng/mL vs. 4.20 ng/mL, p = 0.011). The OPG in patients correlated positively with VWF: Ag and VWF: CB (r = 0.26, p = 0.008; r = 0.33, p = 0.001) and negatively with ankle-brachial pressure index (r = -0.22, p = 0.023). Furthermore, OPG was significantly elevated in non-0 blood groups compared to 0-groups both in patients and controls (4.95 ng/mL vs. 3.90 ng/mL, p = 0.012 and 4.09 ng/mL vs. 3.40 ng/mL, p = 0.002).
  
  
  
  OPG levels are associated to blood group phenotypes and higher in non-0 individuals. Increased OPG levels in PAD characterize disease severity. The significant correlation between OPG and VWF:CB might have functional importance in an atherothrombosis-prone biological environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Targu-Mures, Romania.|Clinical County Hospital, Targu-Mures, Romania.
authors.forename: Elod Erno
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.affiliation: IInd Clinic of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Targu-Mures, Romania.
authors.forename: Timea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Varga-Fekete
authors.affiliation: IInd Clinic of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Targu-Mures, Romania.
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puskas
authors.affiliation: IInd Clinic of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Targu-Mures, Romania.
authors.forename: Piroska
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelemen
authors.affiliation: IInd Clinic of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Targu-Mures, Romania.
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Brassai
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.|Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University Budapest, Faculty of Medicine, H-1444, Budapest, P.O.B. 263, Hungary.
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szekeres-Csiki
authors.affiliation: IIIrd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University Budapest, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Timea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gombos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University Budapest, Faculty of Medicine, H-1444, Budapest, P.O.B. 263, Hungary.
authors.forename: Maria Csilla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Csanyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University Budapest, Faculty of Medicine, H-1444, Budapest, P.O.B. 263, Hungary. harsfalvi.jolan@med.semmelweis-univ.hu.
authors.forename: Jolan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harsfalvi
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D015415:Biomarkers; D053244:Osteoprotegerin
keywords: AB0 blood groups; Atherosclerosis; Critical ischemia; Diabetes; Endothelial dysfunction; Hypertension; Osteoprotegerin; Peripheral arterial disease; Von Willebrand factor