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Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) plasma levels and carotid intima media thickness progression in the general population
A Baragetti1, M Knoflach2, I Cuccovillo3
1Center for the Study of Atherosclerosis, Bassini Hospital, Cinisello Balsamo, Milan, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
Insights
Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) plasma levels do not predict atherosclerosis progression in the general population. This study found no association between PTX3 and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) progression or cardiovascular events.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Biomarker Research
Background:
- Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a key innate immunity protein.
- PTX3 is linked to vascular event risk, similar to C-reactive protein.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if PTX3 plasma levels predict the progression of common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT).
- To assess PTX3's predictive value for atherosclerosis in the general population over 5-6 years.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from two large population-based surveys: the Bruneck Study and the PLIC Study.
- Investigation involved over 2400 subjects, examining PTX3 plasma levels and CCA-IMT progression in carotid and femoral arteries.
Main Results:
- PTX3 plasma levels did not predict faster CCA-IMT progression in either the carotid or femoral arteries.
- No increased CCA-IMT progression was observed in subjects with the highest PTX3 levels.
- PTX3 levels were not associated with the fastest maximum IMT progression or incident cardiovascular events.
Conclusions:
- PTX3 plasma levels are not independent predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis progression in the general population.
- Further research on PTX3's predictive value should focus on specific clinical settings like overt cardiovascular disease (CVD), heart failure, or myocardial infarction.
Background And Aim:
Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an essential component of the humoral arm of innate immunity and, like C-reactive protein, is independently associated with the risk of developing vascular events. Aim of this study was to investigate, in two large population-based surveys, the Bruneck Study and the PLIC Study, whether PTX3 plasma levels predict the progression of common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis, in the general population during 5 or 6 years of follow-up.
Results:
In the Bruneck Study, PTX3 plasma levels did not predict a faster progression of CCA-IMT either in the carotid artery or in the femoral artery. This finding was confirmed in the PLIC Study where subjects within the highest tertile of PTX3 did not show an increased progression of CCA-IMT. PTX3 plasma levels were also not associated with the fastest maximum IMT progression. In summary, in more than 2400 subjects from the general population, PTX3 plasma level is neither an independent predictor of progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in different arterial territories, including carotid and femoral arteries nor of incident cardiovascular events.
Conclusion:
These findings support the relevance of investigating the predictive value of PTX3 plasma levels only in specific settings, like overt CVD, heart failure or acute myocardial infarction.
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