Níveis mais Baixos de Fetuína-A Sérica estão Associados a um Maior Risco de Mortalidade em Dez Anos em Pacientes com Infarto do Miocárdio por Supradesnivelamento do Segmento ST / Lower Serum Fetuin-A Levels are Associated with a Higher Ten-Year Mortality Risk in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Resumo Fundamento A fetuína-A é um fator anti-inflamatório e anticalcificação envolvido no curso da doença arterial coronariana (DAC). Em alinhamento com essas funções, investigou-se a fetuína-A como marcador de risco cardiovascular em vários estudos. Porém, a associação entre a fetuína-A e o prognóstico dos pacientes com DAC ainda é controversa. Objetivos O presente estudo foi conduzido para identificar a associação entre o nível de fetuína-A sérica e doença cardiovascular (DCV) de longo prazo e a mortalidade global por infarto do agudo do miocárdio por supradesnivelamento do segmento ST (STEMI). Métodos Foram cadastrados no estudo cento e oitenta pacientes consecutivos com STEMI. A população do estudo foi dividida em subgrupos (mais baixo, ≤288 µg/ml; e mais alto, >288 µg/ml) de acordo com a mediana do nível de fetuína-A. Dados de acompanhamento clínico foram obtidos por contato telefônico anual com pacientes ou familiares. As causas das mortes também foram confirmadas pelo banco de dados de saúde nacional. P-valores bilaterais <0,05 foram considerados estatisticamente significativos. Resultados Durante um acompanhamento médio de 10 anos, foram registradas 71 mortes, das quais 62 foram devidas a DCV. Identificou-se um índice de mortalidade global e por DCV significativamente mais alto no grupo com nível de fetuína-A mais baixo que no grupo com nível de fetuína-A mais alto (44% versus 24%, p= 0,005; 48% versus 31%, p= 0,022, respectivamente). Nas análises de risco proporcionais por regressão de Cox, detectou-se que a fetuína-A era um preditor independente de mortalidade global e por DCV. Conclusões A baixa concentração de fetuína-A está associada ao prognóstico de longo prazo ruim pós-STEMI, independentemente de fatores de risco cardiovascular tradicionais. Nossos achados fortaleceram estudos prévios demonstrando consistentemente o papel determinante dos mediadores anti-inflamatórios em síndromes coronárias agudas.

Abstract Background Fetuin-A is an anti-inflammatory and anti-calcification factor involved in the course of coronary artery disease (CAD). In line with these functions, fetuin-A has been investigated as a cardiovascular risk marker in many studies. However, the association between fetuin-A and the prognosis of CAD patients is still controversial. Objectives The present study was conducted to identify the association between serum fetuin-A level and long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality of ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods One hundred eigthy consecutive patients with STEMI were enrolled in the study. The study population was divided into subgroups (lower, ≤288 µg/ml; and higher, >288 µg/ml) according to the median fetuin-A level. Clinical follow-up data was obtained by annual contact with the patients or family members by telephone. The causes of death were also confirmed by the national health database. Two-sided p-values<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results During a median follow-up of 10 years, 71 deaths were recorded , 62 of whom died from CVD. Both CVD and all-cause mortality were found to be significantly higher in the lower fetuin-A group than the higher fetuin-A group (44% vs 24%, p= 0.005; 48% vs 31%, p= 0.022, respectively). In Cox regression proportional hazard analyses, fetuin-A was found to be an independent predictor of CVD and all-cause mortality. Conclusions Low fetuin-A concentration is associated with a poor long-term prognosis after STEMI, regardless of the traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Our findings have strengthened previous studies that consistently demonstrate the determining role of anti-inflammatory mediators in acute coronary syndromes.

Patients with dental calculus have increased saliva and gingival crevicular fluid fetuin-A levels but no association with fetuin-A polymorphisms

ABSTRACT: Fetuin-A is a potent inhibitor of calcium-phosphate precipitation and of the calcification process, therefore it can also be related with dental calculus. Thus, we aimed to investigate a possible relationship between fetuin-A gene polymorphism and the presence of dental calculus. A possible relationship between serum, saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of fetuin-A was also investigated. Fetuin-A c.742C > T and c.766C > G polymorphisms were investigated in 103 patients with or without dental calculus. Additionally, serum, saliva and GCF fetuin-A levels of patients were compared according to dental calculus presence. A significant difference was not observed in the distribution of the fetuin-A c.742C > T and c.766C > G polymorphisms between patients with or without dental calculus. Saliva and GCF fetuin-A concentrations of patients with dental calculus were statistically higher than those without dental calculus (P=0.001, P=0.036 respectively). According to our results, fetuin-A c.742C > T and c.766C > G polymorphisms were not associated with presence of dental calculus. However, higher GCF and saliva fetuin-A levels were detected in patients with dental calculus than in patients without dental calculus, which may result from an adaptive mechanism to inhibit mineral precipitation and eventually calculus formation.

Serum osteoprotegerin is associated with vascular stiffness and the onset of new cardiovascular events in hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and fetuin-A are vascular calcification regulators that may be related to high cardiovascular (CV) mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We evaluated the relationship between OPG, fetuin-A, and pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker of vascular stiffness, and determined whether OPG and fetuin-A were independent predictors of CV events in HD patients. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study in 97 HD patients. OPG and fetuin-A were measured at baseline and arterial stiffness was evaluated by PWV. All patients were stratified into tertiles according to serum OPG levels. RESULTS: A significant trend was observed across increasing serum OPG concentration tertiles for age, HD duration, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and PWV. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that diabetes (beta = 0.430, p = 0.000) and OPG levels (beta = 0.308, p = 0.003) were independently associated with PWV. The frequency of new CV events was significantly higher in the upper OPG tertiles compared with those in the lower OPG tertiles. In Cox proportional hazards analysis, upper tertiles of OPG levels were significantly associated with CV events (hazard ratio = 4.536, p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Serum OPG, but not fetuin-A, levels were closely associated with increased vascular stiffness, and higher OPG levels may be independent predictors of new CV events in HD patients.