osteoprotegerin and Ischemic-Attack--Transient

High circulating levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) carry prognostic impact in cohorts with various cardiovascular diagnoses. With the present study, we aim to investigate the role of OPG within the scale of myocardial damage.. This study includes 219 consecutive patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction randomized to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) or pPCI and remote ischemic per-conditioning. Salvage index via myocardial single-photon emission CT assessment (data available in 61% of the patients) was performed, and derived from Day 1 (myocardial area at risk) and Day 30 (final infarct size). Plasma OPG levels were measured using an in-house immunoassay. A combined end-point of all-mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, readmission for heart failure and ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events [MACCE]) was used for follow-up; 45 (38-48 months).. High OPG levels were associated with the severity of cardiovascular disease. During follow-up, OPG was a predictor of MACCE (unadjusted, HR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.14-3.85, P = 0.017). Adjustments for age, gender, and body mass index preserved the independent predictive power of OPG. However, OPG levels were neither associated with salvage index nor with the final infarct size. Remote ischemic per-conditioning had no effect on OPG levels.. Despite absent association between OPG levels and the scale of myocardial damage, high OPG levels predict a significantly increased risk of MACCE.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Brain Ischemia; Denmark; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Immunoassay; Ischemic Attack, Transient; Ischemic Preconditioning; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Osteoprotegerin; Patient Readmission; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Predictive Value of Tests; Proportional Hazards Models; Recurrence; Risk Factors; Stroke; Time Factors; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Treatment Outcome; Up-Regulation; Upper Extremity

Osteopontin (OPN) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) are well-known vascular calcification inhibitors, which have been recently demonstrated to correlate with inflammation and cardiovascular events incidence. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to survey whether OPN and OPG are involved in carotid plaque vulnerability. For this reason, we assessed serum OPN and OPG levels in patients with carotid stenosis, and we explored their relationship with carotid plaque echogenicity and subsequent cerebrovascular ischemic events.. A total of 164 Whites were selected from a large cohort of 297 subjects to participate. In particular, 114 patients (61 men, 53 women), aged 55 to 80, had recently-diagnosed ICA stenosis higher than 50%. A group of 50 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy individuals served as healthy controls. Patients with renal failure, hypothyroidism, osteoporosis, and lipid-lowering therapy were excluded. Images of both carotids were obtained from all participants using a high-resolution color duplex ultrasound and the gray-scale median (GSM) score was calculated. Brain computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans when CT was questionable, were performed on all patients with carotid stenosis. Clinical parameters, lipid and glycemic indexes, hsCRP, fibrinogen, white blood cells (WBC) count, OPN, and OPG were measured. Independent t test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.. Among patients with carotid stenosis, 60 had history of ipsilateral stroke or TIA and positive CT or MRI findings (group A), while 54 had no neurological symptoms and negative CT and MRI scan (group B). Overall, patients with carotid stenosis showed worse lipid profile and increased waist circumference, blood pressure, hsCRP, fibrinogen, WBC count, OPN, and OPG levels compared with healthy subjects (group C) (P <.05). Statistical analysis revealed that group A had significantly lower levels of GSM than group B (57.41 +/- 38.19 vs 76.32 +/- 36.72; P = .008) and higher levels of hsCRP, OPN, and OPG than groups B and C (P < .05). Concerning the latter, biochemical markers group B showed only elevated OPG levels compared with group C (P = .038). Notably, GSM was considerably associated with serum OPN and OPG and waist circumference in patients with carotid atherosclerosis in univariate (r = -0.333; P = .032, r = -0.575; P < .001, r = -0.590; P =.006, respectively) and multiple regression analysis (R(2) = 0.445; P =.006).. The present study demonstrated elevated serum OPN and OPG levels in patients with carotid stenosis and documented an independent association between these biochemical markers, GSM and carotid-induced symptomatology. Therefore bone-matrix proteins combined with GSM could be potential markers for vulnerable carotid plaques.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Blood Pressure; Body Size; C-Reactive Protein; Carotid Stenosis; Case-Control Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Fibrinogen; Greece; Humans; Ischemic Attack, Transient; Leukocyte Count; Lipids; Logistic Models; Magnetic Resonance Angiography; Male; Middle Aged; Osteopontin; Osteoprotegerin; Stroke; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; Up-Regulation