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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Cell-free Biochemical Fluorometric Enzymatic Assay for High-throughput Measurement of Lipid Peroxidation in High Density Lipoprotein
Published on: October 12, 2017
Factors associated with Gla-rich protein serum concentrations in healthy adults
Catarina Marreiros1, Carla Viegas1,2, Selene Nunes3
1Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
Introduction:
Gla-rich protein (GRP) is a vitamin K-dependent protein involved in the regulation of ectopic calcification and inflammatory processes. However, data on circulating GRP concentrations in healthy adults remain limited.
Materials And Methods:
This cross-sectional observational study evaluated serum total GRP (tGRP) concentrations in 254 healthy adult blood donors (48% male), aged 18-65 years, using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (GenoGla Diagnostics, Faro, Portugal). Participants were stratified by age tertiles, and associations between serum tGRP concentrations and demographic and laboratory parameters were assessed using non-parametric statistical tests, Spearman correlation, and stepwise linear regression.
Results:
The median serum tGRP concentration in the overall population was 1809.5 pg/mL (interquartile range: 1197.4-2476.0 pg/mL). Serum tGRP concentrations differed significantly across age tertiles (P = 0.038), with higher concentrations observed in younger adults. Serum tGRP concentrations showed a weak but statistically significant inverse correlation with age (r = - 0.30, P = 0.001), while no significant differences were observed between sexes (P = 0.420). In multivariable analysis, age and serum calcium concentration remained independently associated with serum tGRP concentrations, jointly explaining approximately 7% of their variability.
Conclusion:
This study establishes robust reference data for circulating tGRP concentrations in healthy adults, providing a foundation for the interpretation of GRP measurements in future clinical and epidemiological research.
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