Cross-sectional correlates of serum heat shock protein 70 in the community

Ravi Dhingra1, Martin G Larson, Emelia J Benjamin

  • 1National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.

Insights

Serum heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) levels were not linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors or existing CVD in a community sample. Blood HSP70 may not reflect its role in prevalent CVD.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Biomarkers
  • Proteomics

Background:

  • Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are implicated in cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathogenesis, including heart failure.
  • The relationship between circulating heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and CVD risk factors, left ventricular (LV) remodeling, and prevalent CVD remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between serum HSP70 levels and CVD risk factors, oxidative stress and inflammation markers, echocardiographic LV remodeling indices, and prevalent CVD.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional analysis of 456 Framingham Offspring Study participants (mean age 61).
  • Serum HSP70 levels were assessed against CVD risk factors, urinary 8-epi-PGF(2alpha), plasma IL-6, CRP, MCP-1, sICAM-1, and echocardiographic LV dimensions.
  • Prevalent CVD was also evaluated in relation to serum HSP70.

Main Results:

  • Multivariable analyses showed no association between serum HSP70 and age, sex, hypertension, or other vascular risk factors.
  • Serum HSP70 was not related to echocardiographic LV mass, prevalent CVD, or any measured biomarkers of oxidative stress or inflammation.

Conclusions:

  • In this community-based sample, serum HSP70 levels did not correlate with traditional or novel CVD risk factors, LV mass, or prevalent CVD.
  • These findings suggest that circulating HSP70 levels might not accurately represent the role of heat shock proteins in established cardiovascular disease.
Abstract