Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026
Behavioral Analysis of Locomotor Dysfunction in Drosophila melanogaster as a Readout for Neurotoxicity
Published on: July 18, 2025
P-selectin and subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)
Suzette J Bielinski1, Cecilia Berardi2, Paul A Decker3
1Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Insights
Plasma P-selectin levels are linked to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors and atherosclerosis. While associated with increased CHD events, this link varied significantly across different ethnic groups in the study.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
- Biomarker Discovery
- Atherosclerosis Pathogenesis
Background:
- P-selectin is a cellular adhesion molecule implicated in coronary heart disease (CHD) development.
- Understanding P-selectin's role in atherosclerosis across diverse populations is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between plasma P-selectin levels and the risk of atherosclerosis.
- To examine this association in a large, multi-ethnic population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) with diverse ethnic groups.
- Assessed plasma P-selectin in relation to CHD risk factors, coronary artery calcium (CAC), and incident CHD events.
- Employed regression models, including Tobit and Cox regression, to analyze associations.
Main Results:
- P-selectin levels varied by ethnicity and were higher in men.
- Positively correlated with adiposity, blood pressure, smoking, LDL, triglycerides, and HbA1c; inversely with HDL.
- Higher P-selectin associated with increased CAC prevalence and incident CHD, notably in non-Hispanic white Americans.
Conclusions:
- Observed ethnic heterogeneity in the association between P-selectin and CHD risk.
- P-selectin's role in atherosclerosis may differ across ethnic backgrounds.
Objective:
P-selectin is a cellular adhesion molecule that has been shown to be crucial in development of coronary heart disease (CHD). We sought to determine the role of P-selectin on the risk of atherosclerosis in a large multi-ethnic population.
Methods:
Data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), including 1628 African, 702 Chinese, 2393 non-Hispanic white, and 1302 Hispanic Americans, were used to investigate the association of plasma P-selectin with CHD risk factors, coronary artery calcium (CAC), intima-media thickness, and CHD. Regression models were used to investigate the association between P-selectin and risk factors, Tobit model for CAC, and Cox regression for CHD events.
Results:
Mean levels of P-selectin differed by ethnicity and were higher in men (P<0.001). For all ethnic groups, P-selectin was positively associated with measures of adiposity, blood pressure, current smoking, LDL, and triglycerides and inversely with HDL. A significant ethnic interaction was observed for the association of P-selectin and prevalent diabetes; however, P-selectin was positively associated with HbA1c in all groups. Higher P-selectin levels were associated with greater prevalence of CAC. Over 10.1 years of follow-up, there were 335 incident CHD events. There was a positive linear association between P-selectin levels and rate of incident CHD after adjustment for traditional risk factors. However, association was only significant in non-Hispanic white Americans (HR: 1.81, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.07, P=0.027).
Conclusion:
We observed ethnic heterogeneity in the association of P-selectin and risk of CHD.