Soluble endoglin reflects endothelial dysfunction in myocardial infarction patients: a retrospective observational
J Urbankova Rathouska1, J Mrazkova2, C Andrys3
1Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
Insights
Soluble endoglin (sENG) and endocan show elevated levels in first-time myocardial infarction (MI) patients. sENG may indicate endothelial dysfunction in MI patients without prior cardiovascular treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Biomarker Discovery
- Atherosclerosis Research
Background:
- Acute ischemic heart disease, a severe consequence of atherosclerosis, necessitates identification of novel biomarkers.
- Understanding early-stage myocardial infarction (MI) pathophysiology is crucial for effective intervention.
- Existing lipid profiles may not fully capture the risk in first-time MI patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate plasma levels of PCSK9, BMP-4, sE-selectin, sENG, and Endocan in first-time MI patients compared to healthy controls.
- To identify potential biomarkers for endothelial dysfunction in MI patients without prior cardiovascular disease history or treatment.
- To explore correlations between biomarkers and clinical factors like BMI and smoking status.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study design involving 79 first-time MI patients and 17 age-matched healthy controls.
- Plasma biomarker concentrations analyzed using ELISA and Luminex techniques.
- Comparison of biomarker levels, lipid profiles, and clinical data between MI patients and controls.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in PCSK9, BMP-4, or sE-selectin levels between MI patients and controls.
- Significantly higher plasma levels of soluble endoglin (sENG) and Endocan observed in MI patients.
- Elevated sENG levels correlated with higher body mass index (BMI) and smoking status in MI patients.
Conclusions:
- sENG and Endocan are potential biomarkers for identifying myocardial infarction, particularly in treatment-naive individuals.
- sENG shows promise as a biomarker for endothelial dysfunction in the context of first-time MI.
- Further research is warranted to validate these findings and explore therapeutic implications.
Abstract:
Acute manifestations of ischemic heart disease are among the most serious and fatal consequences of atherosclerotic processes. In this study, we hypothesized that a soluble proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), soluble bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), soluble endoglin (sENG) and soluble endocan (Endocan) would differ from healthy controls in myocardial infarction (MI) patients admitted to the hospital without any previous history of cardiovascular disease and with no cardioprotective drugs taken before admission. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional design. We analyzed data from 79 patients (mean age 54.1 ± 8.9, 18% of women) admitted for the first manifestation of MI and with no history of cardioprotective treatment use before the event. As a control group, we analyzed 17 age-matched healthy volunteers (mean age 51.5 ± 8.6, 47% of women). In addition to routinely obtaining clinical and laboratory data, we analyzed plasma concentrations of the aforementioned biomarkers using ELISA and Luminex analyses. Patients with MI did not differ from healthy controls in total cholesterol, LDL, non-HDL, and triglyceride levels. PCSK9, BMP-4, and sE-selectin levels did not differ significantly between the MI and the control group. Patients with MI had significantly higher sENG and Endocan levels than the control group. In addition, levels of sENG were significantly higher in patients with higher body mass index (BMI) and in smokers. We demonstrated that sENG could serve as a biomarker reflecting endothelial dysfunction in MI patients without prior treatment for cardiovascular risk factors.
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