The effects of IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 treatments on the atherosclerosis in the aorta and the coronary arteries of the high cholesterol diet-fed rabbits.

Several studies have demonstrated suppression of aortic atherosclerosis by insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Though a recent study has reported that IGF-1 exerts anti-atherogenic effects in coronary arteries, the mechanisms of IGF-1 in coronary arteries need to be further verified. Studies about insulin like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) in atherosclerosis are rarely. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 on the atherosclerosis development in the aorta and coronary arteries of the high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed rabbits. New Zealand white rabbits were fed either normal chow (n = 5) or a diet containing 1.0 % cholesterol (n = 18) for 12 weeks. Cholesterol-fed rabbits were given IGF-1 or IGFBP-2 or saline intravenously (each n = 6) for 10 weeks. The results revealed that IGF-1 decreased total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (p < 0.05), whereas IGFBP-2 did not. IGF-1 significantly attenuated atherosclerotic lesions and reduced accumulated macrophages within the coronary artery plaques, whereas IGFBP-2 deteriorated these changes. Moreover, IGF-1 reduced serum platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase levels, C reactive protein (CRP), and inhibited the protein expression levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). IGFBP-2 elevated serum 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels, CRP, and promoted the protein expression levels of TNF-α and IL-6. In conclusion, IGF-1 can substantially suppress plaque formation in coronary arteries with a marked inhibition of macrophage accumulation likely via its anti-inflammatory properties, whereas IGFBP-2 plays an opposite effect on atherosclerosis. The present study highlighted a theoretical basis for pharmacological treatment of atherosclerosis.

HbA1c/C-Peptide Ratio Is a Potential Biomarker Used to Predict No-Reflow Phenomenon in Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

In this letter, we discussed that HbA1c/C-peptide ratio is a potential biomarker used to predict no-reflow phenomenon in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Circulating IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 may be biomarkers for risk stratification in patients with acute coronary syndrome: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The involvement of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is rarely studied in clinical practice. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the relationship between IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 concentrations at admission and risk stratification based on the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score in patients with ACS. METHODS AND RESULTS: In all, 304 patients diagnosed with ACS were included in this study. Plasma IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 were measured using commercially available ELISA kits. The TIMI risk score was calculated and the study population was stratified into high (n = 65), medium (n = 138), and low (n = 101) risk groups. Levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 were analyzed for their predictive ability of risk stratification based on the TIMI risk scores. Correlation analysis showed that IGF-1 levels were negatively correlated with TIMI risk levels (r = -0.144, p = 0.012), while IGFBP-2 levels were significantly and positively correlated with TIMI risk levels (r = 0.309, p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, IGF-1 (odds ratio [OR]: 0.995; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.990-1.000; p = 0.043) and IGFBP-2 (OR: 1.002; 95%CI: 1.001-1.003; p < 0.001) were independent predictors of high TIMI risk levels. In receiver operating characteristic curves, the area under the curve values for IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 in the prediction of high TIMI risk levels were 0.605 and 0.723, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 levels are excellent biomarkers for risk stratification in patients with ACS, which provides further guidance for clinicians to identify patients at high risk and to lower their risk.

The impact of circulating IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 on cardiovascular prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: While insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) exerts a cardioprotective effect in the setting of atherosclerosis, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2) is involved in metabolic syndrome. Although IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 are known to be predictors for mortality in patients with heart failure, their use in clinic as prognostic biomarkers for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) requires investigation. We evaluated the relationship between IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 levels at admission and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with ACS. Methods: A total of 277 ACS patients and 42 healthy controls were included in this prospective cohort study. Plasma samples were obtained and analyzed at admission. Patients were followed for MACEs after hospitalization. Results: Among patients who suffered acute myocardial infarction, plasma levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-2 were lower and higher, respectively, as compared to healthy controls (both p < 0.05). The mean follow-up period was 5.22 (1.0-6.0) months and MACEs incidence was 22.4% (62 of 277 patients). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that patients with low IGFBP-2 levels had a greater event-free survival rate than patients with high IGFBP-2 levels (p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed IGFBP-2, but not IGF-1, to be a positive predictor of MACEs (hazard ratio 2.412, 95% CI 1.360-4.277; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that high IGFBP-2 levels are associated with the development of MACEs following ACS. Moreover, IGFBP-2 is likely an independent predictive marker of clinical outcomes in ACS.

Systemic Immune-Inflammatory Index as a Novel Biomarker of Carotid Artery Stenosis.

In this manuscript, we discussed some points about systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) and carotid artery stenosis (CAS) and put forward our comments.

NLRP3 Inflammasome May Be a Biomarker for Risk Stratification in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Purpose: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has a high incidence and mortality rate worldwide, which has a considerable negative impact on the global economy. This study aimed to identify a group of ACS patients at a high risk of recurrent adverse cardiac events using the plasma NLRP3 inflammasome. Patients and methods: ACS patients admitted to Liaocheng People's Hospital between June 2021 and March 2022 were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into low (levels < 3.84 ng/mL) and high (levels ≥ 3.84 ng/mL) groups based on the median NLRP3 inflammasome levels. The patients were divided into three groups according to the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Risk Score for Secondary Prevention (TRS-2P): low (scores ≤ 2 points), intermediate (scores = 3 points), and high (score ≥ 4 points) risk. We investigated the relationship between NLRP3 inflammasome and laboratory indicators. Additionally, we examined whether the NLRP3 inflammasome was an independent predictor of high TRS-2P and explored the applicability of the plasma NLRP3 inflammasome for predicting high TRS-2P. Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed that NLRP3 inflammasome was an independent predictor of high TRS-2P (odds ratio [OR]:2.013; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.174-3.452). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of the NLRP3 inflammasome was 0.674 (95% CI: 0.611-0.737; P < 0.001). Conclusion: NLRP3 inflammasome levels are an independent predictive factor for high TRS-2P levels, which indicates that the NLRP3 inflammasome may help predict the prognosis of ACS patients.

The predictive value of eosinophil levels on no-reflow in patients with STEMI following PCI: a retrospective cohort study.

In patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), it is essential to restore myocardial perfusion as soon as possible. However, a considerable proportion of patients have no-reflow. No-reflow increases the risk of major adverse cardiac events and even death. The role of blood eosinophil count in predicting no-reflow in STEMI patients has not been determined, particularly after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). The present study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of eosinophil counts for no-reflow in patients with STEMI who underwent pPCI. A total of 674 STEMI patients who underwent pPCI were enrolled. The subjects were divided into two groups according to eosinophil counts for primary analysis and with or without T2DM for secondary analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether eosinophil count was an independent predictor of no-reflow in the entire cohort, and subgroup and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were explored to evaluate its predictive value. DeLong's test was used to compare the area under curves of the three ROC curves. The low eosinophil count was an independent predictor for no-reflow in whole cohort (adjusted OR: 2.012, 95% CI 1.242-3.259, p = 0.004) and in patients with T2DM (adjusted OR: 4.312, 95% CI 1.878-9.900, p = 0.001). In patients without T2DM, hemoglobin, but not low eosinophil count, was an independent predictor of no-reflow. The results of the ROC curve analysis revealed that a low eosinophil count had moderate predictive efficiency for predicting no-reflow in patients with T2DM, and the power was superior to all populations and patients without T2DM. Our data suggest that decreased eosinophil count was an independent risk factor for no-reflow in patients with STEMI who underwent pPCI, especially in T2DM patients, which provides guidance for clinicians to identify patients at a higher risk of developing no-reflow and lowering their risk.