Key result
Serum FGF21 combined with age strongly predicts isolated aortic valve calcification with ~0.94 AUC.
Why the study?
Aortic valve calcification is a progressive pathological process leading to valve dysfunction, and the association between serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels and isolated aortic valve calcification warranted investigation.
Are elevated serum FGF21 levels associated with the presence of isolated aortic valve calcification?
Case-Control (n=60)
Are elevated serum FGF21 levels associated with the presence of isolated aortic valve calcification?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Elevated serum FGF21 levels are independently associated with isolated aortic valve calcification and, when combined with age, show high diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.941) for identifying the condition.
Aortic valve calcification (AVC) is a progressive pathological process, eventually leading to valve dysfunction. We aimed to examine the association between fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and AVC. Forty-three patients with confirmed isolated AVC (without valve incompetence) and seventeen control individuals were included. Patients with AVC were older ( P < 0.001) and exhibited higher serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IFN-γ ( P < 0.05) than the control group did. Importantly, the serum FGF21 levels of the patients with AVC were higher than those of the control individuals ( P < 0.001). Linear regression analysis showed that the presence of AVC and the serum IL-4 levels significantly affected FGF21 levels. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that FGF21 levels and age were strong independent factors that influenced AVC. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the combined diagnosis of AVC with FGF21 levels and age was 0.941 (95% CI 0.855–0.981; P < 0 .001). Therefore, elevated serum FGF21 levels were robustly associated with the presence of AVC. FGF21 levels showed a positive correlation with IL-4 levels, suggesting possible interactions among FGF21, inflammation, and AVC.
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Wei et al. (2026) conducted a case-control in Isolated aortic valve calcification (AVC) (n=60). Serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels vs. Control individuals without aortic valve calcification was evaluated on Presence of isolated aortic valve calcification (combined diagnosis with FGF21 levels and age) (AUC 0.941, 95% CI 0.855-0.981, p=<0.001). Serum FGF21 levels were significantly higher in patients with isolated AVC (P<0.001) and combined with age strongly predicted AVC (AUC 0.941; 95% CI 0.855-0.981; P<0.001).
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