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[Association of cathepsin L with coronary heart disease and its risk factors]
Jun Wang1, Yingxian Liu, Xiangping Li
1Department of Cardiology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
Insights
Cathepsin L (CatL) is a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Elevated CatL serum levels correlate with increased coronary stenosis severity and may indicate impaired glucose and lipid metabolism in CHD patients.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Biomarkers
Context:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) poses a significant global health burden.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms and identifying reliable biomarkers for CHD is crucial for effective management.
- Cathepsin L (CatL), a cysteine protease, has been implicated in various pathological processes, but its specific role in CHD requires further elucidation.
Purpose:
- To investigate the association between serum Cathepsin L (CatL) levels and coronary heart disease (CHD).
- To determine the relationship between CatL and the severity of coronary artery stenosis.
- To explore the correlation of CatL with established CHD risk factors, including glucose and lipid metabolism.
Summary:
- Serum CatL levels were significantly elevated in CHD patients compared to controls.
- CatL was identified as an independent risk factor for CHD and positively correlated with coronary stenosis severity (Gensini score).
- CatL demonstrated inverse associations with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), and a positive association with fasting blood glucose (FBS).
Impact:
- Cathepsin L (CatL) is implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Serum CatL levels serve as a potential biomarker for reflecting the severity of coronary luminal narrowings.
- CatL may play a role in the metabolic dysregulation observed in glucose and lipid disorders associated with CHD.
Objective:
To explore the relationship of cathepsin L (CatL) with coronary heart disease (CHD), severity of coronary stenosis and risk factors of CHD.
Methods:
A total of 137 CHD patients and 48 controls were included in the study, to determined the serum levels of CatL, high sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP), fasting glucose (FBS), total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein A1(Apo-A1) and apolipoprotein B. All the subjects were invited for a coronary angiography, using the sum of the Gensini scores to assess the severity of coronary artery stenosis.
Results:
Serum CatL levels were significantly higher in CHD patients (5.63 +/= 0.12 microg/L) than non-CHD subjects (3.93 +/= 0.22 microg/L, P<0.01). CatL was an independent risk factor of CHD in Logistic regression analysis [Exp(B)=2.341, 95%CI 1.567 approximately 3.496, P<0.01]. Serum CatL levels were associated positively with the Gensini scores(r=0.228, P<0.01); In fact, CatL was an independent correlator of Gensini scores (P<0.05). CatL inversely associated with HDL-C (r=-0.228, P<0.01) and ApoA1(r=-0.187, P<0.05), and positively with FBS(r=0.161, P<0.05).
Conclusion:
CatL is involved in the pathogenesis of CHD. Serum CatL levels could reflect the severity of coronary luminal narrowings. CatL might participate in glucose and lipid metabolic disorders.
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