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Published on: January 28, 2020
Relation of circulating PCSK9 concentration to fibrinogen in patients with stable coronary artery disease
Yan Zhang1, Cheng-Gang Zhu1, Rui-Xia Xu1
1Division of Dyslipidemia, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fu Wai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Insights
This study found a positive association between proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and fibrinogen levels in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Further research is needed to understand the interaction between PCSK9 and fibrinogen in atherosclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Biomarker Discovery
- Atherosclerosis Studies
Background:
- Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and fibrinogen are established markers for atherosclerotic diseases.
- Limited data exist on the relationship between circulating PCSK9 and fibrinogen concentrations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential association between circulating PCSK9 concentration and fibrinogen levels.
- Focus on patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).
Main Methods:
- Study included 219 patients with stable CAD.
- Measured plasma PCSK9, fibrinogen, and inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, ESR, D-dimer, albumin).
- Utilized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Spearman correlation analysis.
Main Results:
- Patients with higher PCSK9 levels showed increased fibrinogen concentrations (P=.037).
- A significant positive correlation was observed between PCSK9 and fibrinogen (r=0.211, P=.002).
- PCSK9 also correlated positively with total cholesterol, LDL-C, and hs-CRP; the association with fibrinogen remained significant after multivariate regression analysis.
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to demonstrate a positive association between circulating PCSK9 and fibrinogen in stable CAD patients.
- The findings suggest a potential interaction between PCSK9 and fibrinogen in the context of atherosclerosis that warrants further investigation.
Background:
Both proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and fibrinogen have been established as novel markers for atherosclerotic diseases. However, no data are available regarding the relationship between circulating PCSK9 and fibrinogen concentration up to now.
Objective:
To explore the potential link of the circulating PCSK9 concentration to fibrinogen in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).
Methods:
We studied 219 eligible consecutive patients with angiographically proven stable CAD. Baseline clinical and laboratory data were collected. Plasma PCSK9 concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, D-dimer, and albumin were also measured in all subjects as inflammatory markers. The relation of the circulating PCSK9 concentration to fibrinogen was evaluated.
Results:
The data indicated that the patients with high PCSK9 concentration tended to have higher fibrinogen levels according to PCSK9 tertiles (P = .037). Spearman correlation analysis revealed a positive relation between plasma PCSK9 concentration and fibrinogen (r = 0.211, P = .002). Additionally, the circulating PCSK9 concentration also correlated positively with total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hs-CRP levels (r = 0.333, P < .001; r = 0.302, P < .001; r = 0.153, P = .023, respectively). In the stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the association between PCSK9 and fibrinogen remained significant (β = 0.168, P = .011) after adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors including lipid profiles, hs-CRP, and D-dimer.
Conclusion:
The present study first demonstrated that the circulating PCSK9 concentration was positively associated with fibrinogen in patients with stable CAD, suggesting that the interactions of PCSK9 and fibrinogen in the status of atherosclerosis may need further investigation.
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