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Published on: January 31, 2025
Serum fetuin-A levels in patients with cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis
Ze-Lin Sun1, Qi-Ying Xie1, Gong-Liang Guo2
1Department of Cardiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha 410008, China.
Insights
Decreased serum Fetuin-A (FA) levels are linked to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This finding suggests FA may serve as a valuable biomarker for monitoring CVD progression.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cardiology
- Metabolic Syndrome
Background:
- Fetuin-A (FA) plays a role in arterial calcification and insulin resistance.
- Elevated FA levels have been observed in cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but existing data is inconsistent.
- Clarifying the association between serum FA and CVD presence/severity is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analysis clarifying the correlation between serum FA levels and the presence and severity of CVD.
- To investigate the role of FA as a potential biomarker in CVD.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search across multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, etc.).
- Inclusion of ten case-control studies comprising 1,281 CVD patients and 2,663 controls.
- Meta-analysis performed using a random-effects model to synthesize data.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in serum FA levels were found between CVD patients and healthy controls (SMD=1.36, P=0.007).
- Subgroup analysis indicated low serum FA levels are associated with CVD in Caucasians (SMD=1.73, P=0.026).
- No significant association was found between serum FA levels and CVD in Asians (SMD=1.04, P=0.138).
Conclusions:
- Decreased serum FA levels are correlated with the development of CVD.
- FA may hold clinical value as an indicator reflecting CVD progression.
- Further research may elucidate ethnic differences in the FA-CVD relationship.
Background:
Fetuin-A (FA) suppresses arterial calcification, promotes insulin resistance, and appears to be elevated in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but the data is still inconsistent. To clarify the correlation between serum FA levels and the presence and severity of CVDs, we performed this meta-analysis.
Method:
Potential relevant studies were identified covering the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CISCOM, CINAHL, Google Scholar, China BioMedicine (CBM), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Data from eligible studies were extracted and included in the meta-analysis using a random-effects model.
Results:
Ten case-control studies, including 1,281 patients with CVDs and 2,663 healthy controls, were included. The results showed significant differences in serum levels of FA between the CVDs patients and the healthy controls (SMD=1.36, 95%CI: 0.37-2.36, P=0.007). Ethnicity-subgroup analysis implied that low serum FA levels are related to CVDs in Caucasians (SMD=1.73, 95%CI: 0.20-3.26, P=0.026), but not in Asians (SMD=1.04, 95%CI: -0.33-2.40, P=0.138).
Conclusion:
The data indicated that decreased serum FA level is correlated with the development of CVDs. FA might be clinically valuable for reflecting the progression of CVDs.