Serum Mucin-1 (CA15-3) in Relation to Pulse Pressure Amplification in Untreated Chinese Patients

Mucin-1 was reported be correlated with organ fibrosis. Pulse pressure amplification (PPA) was a marker of arterial stiffness. We investigate the association of serum mucin-1 (CA15-3) concentration with peripheral and central blood pressure and PPA in untreated Chinese patients. The study participants were outpatients who were suspected of hypertension, but had not been treated with antihypertensive medication for at least two weeks. Serum mucin-1 (CA15-3) concentration was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. PPA was the brachial-to-aortic pulse pressure ratio. The 1761 participants included 916 (52.0%) women, and 578 (32.8%) participants with clinic hypertension. Mean (±standard deviation [SD]) age was 51.3±10.6 years. After adjustment for confounders, higher serum mucin-1 (CA15-3) concentration was significantly associated with higher peripheral and central systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p≤0.009) and lower PPA (p = 0.037). Among 428 participants with a PPA equal or greater than 130% at baseline, 185 progressed to be a lower PPA (<130%) during a median follow-up of 4.65 years. Hazard ratio expressed the relative risk of lower PPA per 1 SD increment in the log transformed serum mucin-1 (CA15-3) concentration was 1.22 (p = 0.027). In women but not in men, the risk of lower PPA was significantly higher with increased baseline serum mucin-1 (CA15-3) concentration (p for interaction 0.015). Higher circulating mucin-1 (CA15-3) concentration was independently associated with higher peripheral and central blood pressure and lower PPA in untreated Chinese patients. It also correlated with the progression of arterial stiffness as indicated by a lower PPA, especially in women.