Adiponectin in Relation to Coronary Plaque Characteristics on Radiofrequency Intravascular Ultrasound and Cardiovascular Outcome

Abstract

BackgroundProspective data on the associations of adiponectin with in-vivo measurements of degree, phenotype and vulnerability of coronary atherosclerosis are currently lacking.ObjectiveTo investigate the association of plasma adiponectin with virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS)-derived measures of atherosclerosis and with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with established coronary artery disease.Methods In 2008-2011, VH-IVUS of a non-culprit non-stenotic coronary segment was performed in 581 patients undergoing coronary angiography for acute coronary syndrome (ACS, n = 318) or stable angina pectoris (SAP, n = 263) from the atherosclerosis-intravascular ultrasound (ATHEROREMO-IVUS) study. Blood was sampled prior to coronary angiography. Coronary plaque burden, tissue composition, high-risk lesions, including VH-IVUS-derived thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), were assessed. All-cause mortality, ACS, unplanned coronary revascularization were registered during a 1-year-follow-up. All statistical tests were two-tailed and p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results In the full cohort, adiponectin levels were not associated with plaque burden, nor with the various VH-tissue types. In SAP patients, adiponectin levels (median[IQR]: 2.9(1.9-3.9) µg/mL) were positively associated with VH-IVUS derived TCFA lesions, (OR[95%CI]: 1.78[1.06-3.00], p = 0.030), and inversely associated with lesions with minimal luminal area (MLA) ≤ 4.0 mm2 (OR[95%CI]: 0.55[0.32-0.92], p = 0.025). In ACS patients, adiponectin levels (median[IQR]: 2.9 [1.8-4.1] µg/mL)were not associated with plaque burden, nor with tissue components. Positive association of adiponectin with death was present in the full cohort (HR[95%CI]: 2.52[1.02-6.23], p = 0.045) and (borderline) in SAP patients (HR[95%CI]: 8.48[0.92-78.0], p = 0.058). In ACS patients, this association lost statistical significance after multivariable adjustment (HR[95%CI]: 1.87[0.67-5.19], p = 0.23).Conclusion In the full cohort, adiponectin levels were associated with death but not with VH-IVUS atherosclerosis measures. In SAP patients, adiponectin levels were associated with VH-IVUS-derived TCFA lesions. Altogether, substantial role for adiponectin in plaque vulnerability remains unconfirmed.

Adiponectin in Chronic Kidney Disease

“…The strongest adiponectin expression was found in the early stages of calcification in medial smooth muscle cells, which might suggest its protective action. Marino et al [ 91 ] analyzed the possible association between the virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) features of coronary plaques and serum adiponectin levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), or stable angina pectoris (SAP), undergoing coronarography. No correlation was found in the whole group, although serum adiponectin was related to the presence of thin cap fibroatheroma lesions in SAP patients alone.…”

Chemerin enhances the adhesion and migration of human endothelial progenitor cells and increases lipid accumulation in mice with atherosclerosis

“…Adipocytokines secreted by adipocytes play a critical role in lipid metabolism and inflammation, which are emerging targets in AS and related diseases [5][6][7]. Representative adipocytokines, such as hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), leptin, adiponectin and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), participate in AS by affecting the brain, the liver, skeletal muscle, islets, gonads, immune organs and the vasculature in a systematic manner [8][9][10].…”

Adiponectin in Relation to Coronary Plaque Characteristics on Radiofrequency Intravascular Ultrasound and Cardiovascular Outcome

“…Adiponectin, tested in this trial, was presented herein by Marino BCA et al 5 Although the median of its serum value in the complete cohort is not associated to the composition of the atherosclerotic plaque nor to the plaque burden assessed by Virtual Histology IVUS (VH-IVUS), it may be considered as an independent variable of death in this sample. Differently, in the sub-group of patients with stable symptoms, adiponectin median value was associated to a thin-cap fibroatheroma identified by VH-IVUS, but not to death.…”