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Association between syndecan-4 and subclinical atherosclerosis in ankylosing spondylitis
Ahmet L Sertdemir1, Ahmet T Şahin1, Mustafa Duran2
1Department of Cardiology, Meram School of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
Insights
Serum syndecan-4 (SDC4) levels are elevated in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and predict subclinical atherosclerosis. This finding highlights SDC4 as a potential biomarker for cardiovascular risk in AS.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cardiology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients face elevated cardiovascular complication risks.
- Macrophages play a key role in AS pathogenesis and atherosclerosis.
- The specific role of syndecan-4 (SDC4) in AS-related macrophage-mediated atherogenesis is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of SDC4 in subclinical atherosclerosis among AS patients.
- To determine if SDC4 levels correlate with disease activity and atherosclerosis markers in AS.
Main Methods:
- Selected AS patients and healthy controls.
- Collected clinical and demographic data.
- Measured carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and disease activity.
- Assessed serum levels of SDC4 and C-reactive protein.
Main Results:
- AS patients exhibited significantly higher serum SDC4 and CIMT compared to controls.
- Serum SDC4 and C-reactive protein levels were independent predictors of AS.
- Serum SDC4 level was identified as the best predictor of CIMT.
Conclusions:
- Elevated serum SDC4 levels are associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in AS patients.
- SDC4 may serve as a valuable biomarker for assessing cardiovascular risk and disease activity in AS.
Background:
Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), the risk of cardiovascular complications in AS patients is still higher than in the general population. Macrophages are at the intersection of the basic pathogenetic processes of AS and atherosclerosis. Although syndecan-4 (SDC4) mediates a variety of biological processes, the role of SDC4 in macrophage-mediated atherogenesis in AS patients remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of SDC4 in subclinical atherosclerosis in AS patients.
Methods:
Subjects were selected from eligible AS patients and control subjects without a prior history of AS who were referred to the rheumatology outpatient clinics. All participants' past medical records and clinical, and demographic characteristics were scanned. In addition, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurement and disease activity index measurement were applied to all patients.
Results:
According to our data, serum SDC4 level was significantly higher among AS patients compared with the control group (6.7 [1.5-35.0] ng/mL vs 5.1 [0.1-12.5] ng/mL, P < .001). The calculated CIMT was also significantly higher in AS patients than in the control group (0.6 [0.3-0.9] mm vs 0.4 (0.2-0.7), P < .001]. Additionally, serum C-reactive protein level and SDC4 level were independent predictors of AS and strongly associated with CIMT. Linear regression analysis showed that serum SDC4 level was the best predictor of CIMT (P = .004).
Conclusion:
Our data indicate that serum SDC4 levels provide comprehensive information about the clinical activity of the disease and subclinical atherosclerosis in AS patients.
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