Increased serum chemerin level to predict early onset of aortic valve stenosis

Abstract

Inflammation appears to be the cause of aortic valve (AoV) stenosis and identification of predictive biomarkers is therefore imperative. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the potential role of serum chemerin and fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) in the pathogenesis of the disease. A total of 102 patients were selected based on certain criteria and divided into an aortic stenosis group and a control group. Patients with AoV stenosis were subdivided into three groups depending on the severity according to the echocardiography criteria: Aortic jet velocity, Vmax (m/sec); mean pressure gradient, PG (mmHg); aortic valve area (AVA), cm2; and indexed AVA, cm2/m2. Patients were graded as: Severe: Vmax >4 m/sec, PG >40 mmHg, AVA <1.0 cm2, indexed AVA <0.6; moderate: Vmax 3.0–4.0 m/sec, PG 20–40 mmHg, AVA 1.0–1.5 cm2, indexed AVA 0.60–0.85; mild: Vmax 2.5–2.9 m/sec, PG <20 mmHg, AVA >1.5 cm2, indexed AVA >0.85. ELISA was used for the detection of chemerin and FGF-21. Post-hoc analysis with Tukey's correction was performed. The highest chemerin levels were found in mild and moderate AoV stenosis and decreased along with the grade of severity, compared with the control group. The FGF-21 level was increased in all the stenosis groups, reaching the highest level at severe stenosis. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis of chemerin in all the AoV stenosis groups without grading the severity included, area under the curve (AUC)=0.76; 0.70–0.80= fair; P<0.001 and for mild AoV stenosis was AUC=0.82; 0.80–0.90= good; P<0.001. In conclusion, chemerin is a good diagnostic biomarker for mild AoV stenosis, while FGF-21 is a moderate diagnostic marker.

Correlation between adiponectin, chemerin, vascular endothelial growth factor and epicardial fat volume in patients with coronary artery disease

“…A study conducted by Eiras and González-Juanatey (19) showed that low adiponectin expression in CAD patients is expected to be a potential biomarker for CAD, while a study conducted by Madonna et al (20) and Nakamura et al (21) showed that both chemerin and VEGF have the effect of promoting blood vessel survival. The present study detected the expression of adiponectin, chemerin and VEGF in the serum of the observation group, finding that the expression of chemerin and VEGF in the serum of the observation group was significantly higher than those of the control group, while the expression of adiponectin was significantly lower than that of the control group, in consistency with previous studies (22,23). The present study further detected and analyzed the correlation of adiponectin, chemerin, and VEGF with epicardial fat volume by performing a Pearson's correlation analysis.…”

Chemerin induces endothelial cell inflammation: activation of nuclear factor-kappa beta and monocyte-endothelial adhesion

“…So, the elevation of cell adhesive molecules is related to higher morbidity and these cytokines are considered as reliable biomarkers of endothelial activation and inflammation in diabetes and obesity [ 35 ]. These dynamic relationships between chemerin and atherosclerosis may give meaningful contribution to the understanding of atherosclerosis pathogenesis in these states leading to early detection and potentially the development of novel therapies [ 36 ]. In summary, our novel in vitro findings demonstrate a direct mechanism linking chemerin-induced NF-κB activation to functional changes in the endothelium.…”

Prognostic Utility of Circulating Growth Factors in Aortic Valve Stenosis: A Pilot Study

“…Data suggest that the blood levels of FGF-21 are associated with increased cardiovascular risk [ 12 ]. Our previous study found that circulating concentrations of FGF-21 have also been increased in AS patients without coronary and peripheral atherosclerosis [ 13 ].…”