May 8, 2007Open Access
View Full PaperAssociation of Fetuin-A With Mitral Annular Calcification and Aortic Stenosis Among Persons With Coronary Heart Disease
Key Result
Higher serum fetuin-A concentrations were associated with significantly lower odds of mitral annular calcification among persons with coronary heart disease (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.29-0.77; P=0.002).
Study Design
Type
Observational (n=970)
Structured PICO
Are higher serum fetuin-A concentrations associated with lower odds of mitral annular calcification and aortic stenosis in ambulatory persons with coronary heart disease?
P
Population
970 ambulatory adults with coronary heart disease and without severe kidney disease, evaluated for valvular calcification.
E
Exposure
Highest tertile of serum fetuin-A concentrations
C
Comparator
Lowest tertile of serum fetuin-A concentrations
O
Outcome
Presence of mitral annular calcification and aortic stenosis determined by transthoracic echocardiographysurrogate
Higher serum fetuin-A concentrations are inversely associated with mitral annular calcification and, in patients without diabetes, aortic stenosis among persons with coronary heart disease.
Main Result
Odds Ratio: 0.47 (95% CI 0.29–0.77)
p-value: p=0.002
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fetuin-A is a multifunctional hepatic secretory protein that inhibits dystrophic vascular and valvular calcification. Lower serum fetuin-A concentrations are associated with valvular calcification in persons with end-stage renal disease. Whether fetuin-A is associated with valvular calcification in other patient populations is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We evaluated the associations among serum fetuin-A concentrations, mitral annular calcification, and aortic stenosis in 970 ambulatory persons with coronary heart disease and without severe kidney disease. The presence or absence of mitral annular calcification and aortic stenosis was determined by transthoracic echocardiography. The subjects' mean age was 66 years; 81% were men; 189 (20%) had mitral annular calcification; and 79 (8%) had aortic stenosis. Participants were categorized by tertiles of fetuin-A concentrations. Those within the highest fetuin-A tertile had significantly lower odds of mitral annular calcification compared with the lowest tertile (adjusted odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.29 to 0.77; P=0.002); this association was similar regardless of diabetes status (P for interaction=0.34). In contrast, the association of fetuin-A with aortic stenosis was modified by the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus (P for interaction=0.03). Among participants without diabetes, the highest fetuin-A tertile had a significantly lower odds of aortic stenosis compared with the lowest tertile (adjusted odds ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.15 to 0.92; P=0.03), whereas among participants with diabetes, no statistically significant association was observed between fetuin-A and aortic stenosis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.48 to 4.63; P=0.49). CONCLUSIONS: Among persons with coronary heart disease, we observed an inverse association of fetuin-A and mitral annular calcification. An inverse association also was observed between fetuin-A and aortic stenosis among participants without diabetes mellitus. Fetuin-A may represent an important inhibitor of dystrophic calcification in persons with coronary heart disease.