Key result
Plasma BDNF is lower in CAD, but higher levels link to OCT plaque vulnerability.
Why the study?
New biomarkers reflecting atherosclerotic disease severity and plaque vulnerability are needed, and BDNF's effects on endothelial and macrophage activation suggest possible involvement in plaque behavior.
Are plasma BDNF levels associated with coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by OCT in patients with coronary artery disease?
Observational (n=76)
Are plasma BDNF levels associated with coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by OCT in patients with coronary artery disease?
p-value: p=< 0.03
Plasma BDNF levels are lower in CAD patients compared to healthy subjects, but among CAD patients, higher BDNF correlates with OCT-derived features of plaque vulnerability.
BDNF measurement should not yet inform CAD care; leaves open its role as OCT vulnerability marker pending prospective studies.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) patients are at high ischemic risk, and new biomarkers reflecting atherosclerotic disease severity and coronary plaque vulnerability are required. The Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) affects endothelial and macrophage activation suggesting its involvement in atherosclerotic plaque behavior. To investigate whether plasma BDNF is associated with in vivo coronary plaque features, assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT), in both acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stable angina (SA) patients, we enrolled 55 CAD patients (31 SA and 24 AMI), and 21 healthy subjects (HS). BDNF was lower in CAD patients than in HS (p < 0.0001), and it decreased with the presence, clinical acuity and severity of CAD. The greater BDNF levels were associated with OCT features of plaque vulnerability in overall CAD as well as in SA and AMI patients (p < 0.03). Specifically, in SA patients, BDNF correlated positively with macrophages’ infiltration within atherosclerotic plaque (p = 0.01) and inversely with minimal lumen area (p = 0.02). In AMI patients a negative correlation between BDNF and cap thickness was found (p = 0.02). Despite a small study population, our data suggest a relationship between BDNF and coronary plaque vulnerability, showing that vulnerable plaque is positively associated with plasma BDNF levels, regardless of the clinical CAD manifestation.
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Amadio et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Coronary artery disease (n=76). Plasma BDNF levels vs. Healthy subjects was evaluated on Association between plasma BDNF levels and in vivo coronary plaque features assessed by OCT (p=< 0.03). Plasma BDNF levels were lower in CAD patients than healthy subjects (p<0.0001), but within CAD patients, higher BDNF was associated with OCT features of plaque vulnerability (p<0.03).
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