title: Circulating level of pigment epithelium-derived factor is associated with vascular function and structure: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a glycoprotein that belongs to the superfamily of serine protease inhibitors. It is thought that PEDF plays a protective role against atherosclerosis. Clinical studies have shown that serum levels of PEDF are increased in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors. The role of PEDF in cardiovascular disease is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between serum levels of PEDF and vascular function and structure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured serum levels of PEDF, assessed vascular function by measurements of flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation in the brachial artery, and measured brachial artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in 150 subjects who underwent health examinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Univariate regression analysis revealed that serum level of PEDF was significantly correlated with body mass index, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, FMD, nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation, and brachial artery IMT. Multivariate analysis revealed that serum levels of PEDF remained an independent predictor of nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation (β=-0.20, P=0.02) and brachial artery IMT (β=0.14, P=0.03) after adjustment of cardiovascular risk factors, while serum level of PEDF was not associated with FMD (β=-0.02, P=0.79). These findings suggest that PEDF may be a factor directly associated with atherosclerosis. The serum level of PEDF may be a new biochemical marker of atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kajikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruhashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Akimichi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Nozomu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aibara
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chayama
authors.affiliation: Hiroshima International University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Chikara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.affiliation: Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noma
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayumu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology and Therapeutics of Diabetic Vascular Complications, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology and Therapeutics of Diabetic Vascular Complications, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Sho-Ichi
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.affiliation: Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. Electronic address: yhigashi@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yukihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D015843:Serpins / Q000097:blood*; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005136:Eye Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D015843:Serpins; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Brachial artery intima-media thickness; Pigment epithelium-derived factor; Vascular function