title: Increased IL-37 concentrations in patients with arterial calcification.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our previous study indicates that IL-37 plays a critical role in both atherosclerosis and arterial calcification. However, whether IL-37 concentrations are significantly changed in patients with arterial calcification has not yet been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anterior tibial arterial wall specimens were obtained from 8 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 8 patients who experienced a traffic accident. IL-37 expression was measured by immunohistochemistry in the calcified and the normal samples. In addition, plasma IL-37 concentrations were measured in 75 patients with coronary artery calcification (CAC) and 50 patients without coronary artery calcification (NCAC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  High concentrations of IL-37 were detected in calcified samples, whereas low concentrations of IL-37 were detected in the normal arteries. Macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells were the main source of IL-37. Plasma IL-37 concentrations were significantly increased in CAC patients compared with NCAC patients. A correlation analysis showed that IL-37 was positively correlated with age, fasting glucose, alkaline phosphatase, IL-6, TNF-α, C-reactive protein and Agatston scores. Binary logistic regression analyses demonstrated that fasting glucose and IL-37 were independently associated with the presence of CAC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased IL-37 concentrations are associated with the onset of arterial calcification.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Immunology, Institute of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Kunwu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Puren Hospital, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Yingzhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Liyuan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Immunology, Institute of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yudong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Immunology, Institute of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Immunology, Institute of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Dazhu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China. Electronic address: jqw124@163.com.
authors.forename: Qingwei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Immunology, Institute of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Qiutang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: C508587:IL37 protein, human; D007375:Interleukin-1
keywords: Arterial calcification; IL-37; Inflammation