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Circulating cell-free DNA is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors: the Health 2000 Survey

Juulia Jylhävä1, Terho Lehtimäki2, Antti Jula3

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, FIN-33014 Tampere, Finland.

Atherosclerosis
|February 18, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Elevated cell-free circulating DNA (cf-DNA) levels correlate with cardiometabolic risk factors and arterial stiffness, particularly in women. This suggests cf-DNA may aid in assessing cardiovascular risk and arterial health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Biomarker Discovery
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Cell-free circulating DNA (cf-DNA) shows promise as a biomarker for cardiovascular diseases and mortality prediction.
  • Baseline cf-DNA levels are being investigated for their role in cardiovascular risk and early atherosclerosis detection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if baseline cf-DNA concentration indicates increased cardiovascular risk and early atherosclerosis.
  • To explore the association between cf-DNA levels and cardiometabolic risk factors, arterial elasticity, and glucose intolerance.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 1337 participants (aged 46-77 years) from the Health 2000 Survey.
  • Quantification of plasma cf-DNA using the Quant-iT™ high-sensitivity DNA assay.
  • Assessment of cardiometabolic risk factors, arterial elasticity, and glucose intolerance.

Main Results:

  • Increased cf-DNA levels were associated with higher blood pressure, unfavorable lipid profiles, and systemic inflammation in both sexes.
  • Higher cf-DNA levels correlated with decreased arterial elasticity and glucose intolerance in women not using hormonal replacement therapy (HRT).
  • cf-DNA independently determined Young's elastic modulus in women not using HRT.

Conclusions:

  • cf-DNA may serve as an auxiliary biomarker for cardiometabolic risk assessment.
  • cf-DNA can indicate arterial stiffness, especially in women not using HRT.

Keywords:
Arterial stiffnessBiomarkerCardiometabolic riskEarly atherosclerosiscf-DNA

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