Abstract
BackgroundThe lipocalin-2 (LCN2) cytokine, primarily known as a protein of the granules of human neutrophils, has been recently reported to be implicated in metabolic and inflammatory disorders. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between serum LCN2 levels and coronary artery disease (CAD).MethodsSerum LCN2 levels of 261 in-patients who underwent coronary angiography were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay. Demographic (169 men and 92 postmenopausal women) and clinical (metabolic syndrome (MS), triglyceride (TG) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels) characteristics were collected to assess independent factors of CAD (CAD: 188 and non-CAD: 73) and serum LCN2 levels by multiple logistic regression and multivariate stepwise regression analyses, respectively.ResultsSerum LCN2 levels were significantly higher in men (37.5 (27.4-55.4) vs. women: 28.2 (18.7-45.9) ng/mL, p < 0.01) and men with CAD (39.2 (29.3-56.5) vs. non-CAD men: 32.7 (20.5-49.7) ng/mL, p < 0.05), and showed significant positive correlation with CAD in men (odds ratio = 2.218, 95% confidence interval: 1.017-4.839). Similarly, serum LCN2 levels were significantly higher in men with MS (40.2 (31.9-59.4) vs. non-MS: 32.0 (21.7-47.6) ng/mL, p < 0.01) and showed a significant positive correlation with the number of MS components (p for trend < 0.05). No significant differences or correlations were seen in women. TG and neutrophils (standard β = 0.238 and 0.173) were independent factors of serum LCN2 levels in men, and only neutrophils (standard β = 0.286) affected levels in women (all p < 0.05).ConclusionsIncreased serum LCN2 levels are positively correlated with the presence of CAD and MS in a Chinese cohort.
Highlights
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is commonly encountered in long-term and urgent clinical care settings, yet high mortality and disability rates persist [1]
Stratification analysis by gender showed that men with coronary artery disease (CAD) had significantly lower uric acid levels than those without CAD and that women with CAD had significantly lower Body mass index (BMI) but significantly higher proportion of hypoglycemic therapy than their non-CAD counterparts
Men with CAD had significantly higher serum LCN2 levels than their counterparts without CAD (39.2 (29.3-56.5) vs. 32.7 (20.549.7) ng/mL, p < 0.05); the CAD-related significant trend was not found among the women (29.0 (18.5-51.9) vs. 27.0 (19.2-40.9) ng/mL, p > 0.05, Figure 1)
Summary
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is commonly encountered in long-term and urgent clinical care settings, yet high mortality and disability rates persist [1]. The fundamental pathological change observed in CAD patients is atherosclerosis, and this cholesterol and lipid-based blockage has been implicated in metabolic disorders and chronic inflammation [2,3]. LCN2 complexes with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and contributes to fibrosis, and this functional interaction is recognized by the alternative designation of LCN2 as the neutrophilgelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) [10]. Studies in animal models have shown that murine atherosclerosis is accompanied by increased levels of serum LCN2 and that conditions of hypoxia and myocardial infarction (MI) induce Lcn mRNA expression [13]. Serum LCN2 levels have been found to be related to glucose metabolism and blood lipid composition [14,15]. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between serum LCN2 levels and coronary artery disease (CAD)
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