Is serum fibroblast growth factor 21 associated with the severity or presence of coronary artery disease?

Abstract

Aim: Recent studies have shown that increased circulating concentrations of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) are associated with obesity, metabolic disorder, and atherosclerosis. However, the studies which investigate the relationship between serum FGF21 levels and coronary artery disease (CAD) include conflicting data. In this study, we planned to investigate the role of FGF21 in CAD development and CAD severity.
 Method: Seventy-eight patients with stable angina pectoris (SA) (lesion positive) and 40 control patients (lesion negative) with similar cardiovascular risk factors who underwent coronary angiography were included in the study. Serum FGF21 levels were measured by ELISA method. CAD severity was evaluated by using SYNTAX and GENSINI risk scores.
 Results: Although there was a statistically significant difference between serum FGF21 levels in the SA and the control groups [101.18 ± 141.62 vs. 47.93 ± 58.74 pg/mL; p = 0.03], no correlation was found between the SYNTAX (r = 0.146 and p = 0.134) and GENSINI (r = 0.211 and p = 0.084) scores with serum FGF21 levels. The SA group had lower serum HDL-C levels (41.57 ± 11.40 vs. 54.90 ± 34.47; p = 0.02). There was a significant and negative relationship between serum FGF21 and serum HDL-C levels in correlation analysis (r = - 0.272; p = 0.026).
 Conclusion: The serum FGF21 levels are different between SA diagnosed and control patients. FGF21 may be a marker for CAD diagnosis, but not for the evaluation of CAD severity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate coronary artery disease severity together with a lipid profile.

Total serum FGF-21 levels positively relate to visceral adiposity differently from its functional intact form

“…increase in circulating FGF-21 level in patients with atheromatous plaque however FGF-21 inversely correlated with HDL. In line with previously reported data(12,40,41), this study shows not only an inverse relationship between FGF-21 and HDL-c but also a direct correlation between HDL-c and Vitamin D levels, as we previously reported(42), thus supporting the hypothesis that FGF-21-driven putative protective role against diabetes and obesity may depend on normal Vitamin D and HDL-cholesterol levels. For these reasons, for the first time, we went further and evaluated the relation between FGF-21 and 25-OH Vitamin D. In the analysed cohort, 25-OH Vitamin D showed a significant inverse correlation with FGF-21 levels.…”

Predictive value of LDL/HDL ratio in coronary atherosclerotic heart disease

“…In the Gensini score system, the lesions were classified as 0–25%, 26–50%, 51–75%, 76–90% according to the degree of angiographic stenosis, and were scored 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 points, respectively. Then the score was multiplied by the coefficient defined according to the localization of the lesion [ 17 ].…”

New Dawn for Atherosclerosis: Vascular Endothelial Cell Senescence and Death

“…FGF21 is a starvation hormone that induces stress responses by activating the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamuspituitary-adrenal axis [220]. Importantly, growing evidence indicates that exogenous FGF21 has anti-atherosclerotic effects via its actions on lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell vitality (senescence and death) [221]. Importantly, FGF21 deficiency exacerbates the development of atherosclerotic plaque formation in Apoe −/− mice.…”