Abstract
Abstract Objectives Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is a calcification inhibitor that plays a role in preventing soft tissue calcification and local mineralization of the vascular wall. The present study aimed to assess the expression of MGP in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) in adult patients with CVD pathologies and its association with the presence and severity of coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and conventional CVD risk factors. Methods MGP expression was measured in 87 individuals using real time qPCR. Subgrouping was performed according etiologic and metabolic CVD risk factors. Results A clear trend for a decreased MGP expression was observed in all subgroups with high CVD risk. This decrease was significant in abdominally obese hypertensive individuals and in those with dyslipidemia. MGP expression was significantly lower in patients representing high Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. A positive correlation between MGP expression and smoking status in patients with coronary calcium and in the CVD group was established. Atrial hypertension duration correlated negatively with MGP expression in the group without coronary calcium deposits. Conclusions The current study supports the hypothesis that MGP expression in PBMC probably reflects CVD pathology and is related to lipid metabolism dysregulation.
Highlights
Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is a local calcification inhibitor that plays essential role in preventing calcification of soft tissues and the vascular wall local mineralization [1]
The patients in cardiovascular disease (CVD) group (n=46) were split into two subgroups according to their CVD pathology – with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF group, n=29) and with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction who were in sinus rhythm at the time of hospitalization (HF group, n=17)
MGP expression analysis did not reveal a significant difference between smokers and nonsmokers among our cohort, the correlation analysis showed association of MGP expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and the number of cigarettes per day for the patients with coronary calcium (ρ=0.554, p
Summary
Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is a local calcification inhibitor that plays essential role in preventing calcification of soft tissues and the vascular wall local mineralization [1]. It is secreted mainly by chondrocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells in the arterial tunica media [2]. The importance of MGP as vascular calcification inhibitor has been demonstrated in a study on MGP-knock out mice which developed massive arterial calcification within 6–8 weeks after birth [5]. Rat models revealed that both carboxylated and uncarboxylated MGP are produced in aortic smooth muscle cells [7]
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