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Published on: January 28, 2020
Hepatocyte growth factor demonstrates racial heterogeneity as a biomarker for coronary heart disease
Suzette J Bielinski1, Cecilia Berardi1,2, Paul A Decker3
1Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Insights
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is linked to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk and subclinical disease across diverse populations. Associations were strongest in African-Americans and non-Hispanic whites, independent of traditional risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Biomarker Research
- Atherosclerosis Studies
Background:
- Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is implicated in endothelial damage and coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Understanding HGF's role across diverse populations is crucial for cardiovascular risk assessment.
- Previous studies suggest HGF as a potential biomarker for CHD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between HGF levels and subclinical and clinical CHD.
- To examine these associations in a multi-ethnic population, considering racial/ethnic differences.
- To determine if HGF is an independent biomarker for atherosclerotic disease.
Main Methods:
- HGF levels were measured in 6,738 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
- Coronary artery calcium (CAC) was assessed as a measure of subclinical CHD.
- Incident CHD events were tracked over the study period.
Main Results:
- HGF levels were associated with traditional CHD risk factors like age, blood pressure, BMI, and smoking.
- Higher HGF was linked to increased coronary artery calcium (CAC) in non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans.
- Increased CHD risk per standard deviation increase in HGF was observed in African-Americans (41%) and non-Hispanic whites (17%).
Conclusions:
- HGF is associated with both subclinical and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) in a diverse cohort.
- Racial/ethnic heterogeneity exists in the association between HGF and CHD.
- HGF serves as a valuable biomarker for atherosclerotic disease, independent of established risk factors.
Objective:
To determine if hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a promising biomarker of coronary heart disease (CHD) given its release into circulation in response to endothelial damage, is associated with subclinical and clinical CHD in a racial/ethnic diverse population.
Methods:
HGF was measured in 6738 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Highest mean HGF values (pg/mL) were observed in Hispanic, followed by African, non-Hispanic white, then Chinese Americans.
Results:
In all races/ethnicities, HGF levels were associated with older age, higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and body mass index, lower high-density lipoprotein, diabetes and current smoking. In fully adjusted models, each SD higher HGF was associated with an average increase in coronary artery calcium (CAC) of 55 Agatston units for non-Hispanic whites (p<0.001) and 51 Agatston units for African-Americans (p=0.007) but was not in the other race/ethnic groups (interaction p=0.02). There were 529 incident CHD events, and CHD risk was 41% higher in African (p<0.001), 17% in non-Hispanic white (p=0.026) and Chinese (p=0.36), and 6% in Hispanic Americans (p=0.56) per SD increase in HGF.
Conclusion:
In a large and diverse population-based cohort, we report that HGF is associated with subclinical and incident CHD. We demonstrate evidence of racial/ethnic heterogeneity within these associations, as the results are most compelling in African-Americans and non-Hispanic white Americans. We provide evidence that HGF is a biomarker of atherosclerotic disease that is independent of traditional risk factors.
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