Novel plasma biomarkers of coronary artery calcium incidence or progression: Insights from the prospective multi-ethnic Dallas Heart Study cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Identifying the association of novel plasma biomarkers with coronary artery calcium (CAC) incidence or progression may provide insights into the pathophysiology of atherogenesis and plaque formation.

Methods

Participants of the Dallas Heart Study (DHS), a multi-ethnic cohort of ambulatory individuals at low-intermediate risk for future atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), who had their blood tested for 31 biomarkers reflecting multiple pathophysiological pathways, underwent 2 serial non-contrast computed tomography assessments for CAC a median ∼7 years apart. The collected biomarkers were explored for association with CAC incidence or progression using univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

A total of 1424 participants were included; mean age 43 years, 39 % male, and nearly half African-American. Over a 7-year interval between the two CAC measurements, 340 participants (23.9 %) had CAC incidence or progression, 105 (7.4 %) with incident CAC, and 309 (21.7 %) with CAC progression. Although several plasma biomarkers were associated with CAC incidence or progression in a univariate model, only soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), related to atherosclerosis by the inflammatory pathway, remained independently associated in a multivariate model adjusted for traditional risk factors.

Conclusions

Further studies are needed to characterize the role of sICAM-1 in CAC evolvement to establish whether it has a pivotal mechanistic contribution or is rather an innocent bystander. Alternate measures of coronary atherosclerosis may be needed to elucidate contributors to atherosclerosis incidence or progression.

SUBMITTER: Grinberg T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10988770 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature