Abstract
Background
Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is an independent risk factor of coronary heart disease (CHD) and calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS). It has been recently shown that autotaxin (ATX), which breaks down lysophosphatidylcholine, derived from oxidized phospholipids, to lysophosphatidic acid, was strongly associated with CAVS.
Purpose
The aim of the study was to investigate the role of Lp(a) and ATX in CHD patients with and without CAVS.
Methods
The study included 438 patients (average age 66±11 years, men 310), 332 had CHD with ≥50% stenosis in at least one coronary artery according to angiography. CAVS was diagnosed with ultrasound. The control group consisted of 106 patients without CHD and CAVS. The concentrations of Lp(a), ATX, lipids and blood cells were measured for all the patients.
Results
CHD without CAVS (group I) was diagnosed in 287 patients, 45 patients had CHD and CAVS (group II). Patients in both groups were older than patients in the control group (75±8, 66±10 and 61±13 years respectively). ATX level was lower in group I (median [25; 75%]: 493 [406; 583] ng/ml) than in control group (544 [412; 655] ng/ml, p=0.02) or group II (553 [475; 609] ng/ml, p=0.003). Lp(a) was lower in control group (14.5 [5.5; 36.0] mg/dl) than in group I (25.6 [9.7; 58.5] mg/dl, p=0.0004) and group II (23.8 [9.9; 79.1] mg/dl, p=0.02). Elevated level of ATX was positively associated with CAVS in CHD patients, but negatively with CHD in patients without CAVS. We have shown that age, glucose level and neutrophil-lymphocytes index (NLI) could be predictors of CAVS in patients with CHD according to results of logistic regression analysis.
Odds ratio of high (QIV) vs. low (QI) Odds ratio (95% confidence interval) Groups Autotaxin Lipoprotein(a) Neutrophil-lymphocytes index I vs. control 0.5 (0.3–0.9)* 2.7 (1.3–5.2)** 2.4 (1.3–4.6)* II vs. control 8.6 (1.1–70.1)* 3.4 (1.2–9.4)* 6.2 (2.2–16.9)** II vs. I 16.6 (2.1–131.1)** 1.3 (0.5–3.2) 2.5 (1.0–6.37)* *p<0.05, **p<0.005.
Conclusion
Elevated Lp(a) level is a predictor of CHD regardless of calcific aortic valve stenosis, whereas elevated concentration of autotoxin in CHD patients was associated with calcific aortic valve stenosis.