Cardiovascular risk assessment in osteoporotic patients using osteoprotegerin as a reliable predictive biochemical marker

Abstract

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily of proteins known to be involved in a large number of biological systems, plays a pivotal role in bone remodelling. In addition to the roles of OPG in bone metabolism, it has been reported to be associated with a high cardiovascular risk in patients with metabolic syndrome. In most cases, the exact functions of OPG remain to be established; however, the widespread expression of OPG suggests that this molecule may have multiple biological activities, mainly in the cardiometabolic environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of OPG as a predictive marker for cardiovascular and metabolic risk in osteoporotic patients. The study group comprised patients with osteoporosis, in order to evaluate the association between OPG serum levels and cardiovascular pathology. Our results revealed significant correlations between classical biochemical bone and metabolic parameters, such as osteocalcin and parathyroid hormone with lipid and glucose biomarkers, sustaining the crosstalk between calcium and bone parameters and cardiovascular risk. The OPG serum level proved to have a significant and independent predictive value for metabolic syndrome (MetS) as a cardiovascular risk standard in osteoporotic patients. The OPG serum levels were increased in patients with MetS as a protective response against the atherosclerotic lesions. The serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D had significant and independent predictive value for cardiovascular and metabolic risk in our subjects, sustaining the active role of vitamin D beyond the area of bone metabolism.

Impact of vitamin�D receptor gene polymorphisms on vitiligo susceptibility and clinical features in�a�Southeastern European Caucasian population

“…vitamin d has been shown to be involved in multiple biologic processes and pathways. Its role in human carcinogenesis, as well as in osteoporosis is well known (5,6). Given the effects of vitamin d against autoimmunity (7), a potential link between vitamin D deficiency and immune-mediated dermatoses, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, has already been suggested (8,9).…”

The Role of Osteoprotegerin and Its Ligands in Vascular Function

“…Increased OPG production represents an early event in the development of diabetes mellitus and possibly contributes to diseases associated with endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction. The plasma OPG level is significantly coupled with endothelial function and the OPG serum level has a significant and independent predictive value for metabolic syndrome as a standard for cardiovascular risk in osteoporotic patients [3].…”

Insights Into Chrononutrition: The Innermost Interplay Amongst Nutrition, Metabolism and the Circadian Clock, in the Context of Epigenetic Reprogramming

“…The human liver generates daily as much as 300 g ketone bodies, having important roles in the physiologic and pathological conditions of mammalian cell metabolism, homeostasis and signalling. Used like an energy substrate for extrahepatic tissues such as the muscle, brain, cardiovascular or skeletal systems, ketone bodies play a key role in the process of signalling, being intensively studied for their therapeutic use for multiple neurological disorders and in cancer-derived states [5,7,15,16,22,35,72]. They have also been assessed as metabolic drivers of post-translation protein modifications and as modulators of inflammation and oxidative stress [25,64].…”