Tenascin C: A Potential Biomarker for Predicting the Severity of Coronary Atherosclerosis

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and one of the greatest threats to public health. Tenascin C (TNC) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that is found in low concentrations in normal tissues and is enhanced by a range of cardiovascular pathologies. This study aimed to evaluate the value of TNC in assessing the severity of atherosclerosis measured by the Gensini score.

A total of 157 patients with chest pains who underwent selective coronary angiography for suspected coronary atherosclerosis were enrolled. The patients were divided into the CAD group and non-CAD group according to symptoms and angiography. Demographic data and laboratory analyses were collected.

The mean TNC level was significantly higher in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group (p＜0.001). A significant positive correlation between TNC levels and Gensini score (p＜0.01, r=0.672) was found. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the cutoff value for TNC at 89.48 ng/mL was well differentiated in the CAD and non-CAD groups. Furthermore, TNC was also a good predictor for a higher Gensini score (the third tertile) in the ROC curve analysis. When the cutoff was accepted as 100.91 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity were 82.7% and 79%, respectively.

A significant relationship was found between the Gensini score and serum TNC level. TNC levels can be considered in risk assessments for CAD before angiography.