Acute phase proteins as prospective risk markers for arterial stiffness: The Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Arterial stiffness plays a significant role in the development and progression of adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. This observational study aims to explore the relationship between six acute phase proteins namely, ceruloplasmin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, orosomucoid, haptoglobin, complement C3 and C-reactive protein (CRP), and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f PWV) in a population-based cohort, and to also explore the effect of low-grade inflammation on the relationship between diabetes and c-f PWV. METHOD: The study consisted of participants from the Malmö Diet and Cancer study with data from baseline examinations (1991-1994) and follow-up examinations (2007-2012). Arterial stiffness was measured at follow-up by determining c-f PWV. After excluding participants with missing data, the total study population included 2338 subjects. General linear models were used to assess the relationship between baseline acute phase proteins and c-f PWV. RESULTS: After adjusting for traditional risk factors the participants in the 4th quartile vs 1st quartile of alpha-1-antitrypsin (geometric mean: 10.32 m/s vs 10.04 m/s) (p<0.05), C3 (10.35 m/s vs 10.06 m/s) (p<0.05) and CRP (10.37 m/s vs 9.96 m/s) (p<0.001) showed significant association with c-f PWV. Diabetes at follow-up was also associated with high c-f PWV, however, this relationship was independent of low grade inflammation. CONCLUSION: Alpha-1-antitrypsin, C3 and CRP are associated with arterial stiffness. The results indicate that low grade inflammation is associated with arterial stiffness in addition to established cardiovascular risk factors.