Relationship between Serum Salusin Beta Levels and Coronary Artery Ectasia

Local or diffuse dilatation of the coronary artery is defined as coronary artery ectasia (CAE). Salusin beta plays a role in the proliferation of cardiomyocytes, inhibition of apoptosis, and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum salusin beta and CAE.

This study was conducted between July 2019 and December 2019 and included 71 patients with CAE (age 59.3 ± 11 years, 67.7% male) and 72 healthy subjects (age 57.1 ± 10.2 years, 69.4% male) with coronary artery angiography (CAG) findings. Venous blood samples of the participants were collected for serum salusin beta level evaluation. CAG examinations and the diagnosis of CAE were performed by two invasive cardiologists blinded to the clinical conditions of the patients.

Mean systolic (SBP) and diastolic arterial blood pressures were significantly higher in the CAE group than in the control group, and the mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly lower (all p < 0.05). The median serum salusin beta value was statistically significantly higher in the CAE group compared to the control group [415 (interquartile range (IQR): 51.7) pg/mL vs. 365 (IQR: 55.8) pg/mL; p < 0.001]. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, a cut-off value of salusin beta ≥ 393 pg/mL had 78.9% sensitivity and 75.0% specificity for predicting CAE (area under the curve: 0.822; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that serum salusin beta [odds ratio (OR): 1.011; p = 0.002], LVEF (OR: 0.816; p = 0.001) and SBP (OR: 1.041;p = 0.001) were independent predictors of CAE.

This study revealed a significant and independent relationship between serum salusin beta level and the presence of CAE.