Relationship of activin A levels with clinical presentation, extent, and severity of coronary artery disease

• Published in: Anatolian journal of cardiology Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. 402 - 409
• Main Authors: Bouzidi, Nadia, Betbout, Fethi, Maatouk, Faouzi, Gamra, Habib, Miled, Abdelhedi, Ferchichi, Salima
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Turkey Kare Publishing 01.12.2017
• Subjects: Cardiovascular disease; Coronary vessels; Electrocardiography; Heart attacks; Original Investigation
• ISSN: 2149-2263; 2149-2271
• DOI: 10.14744/AnatolJCardiol.2017.7935

We aimed to evaluate the relationship of serum activin A levels with risk factors, clinical presentation, biochemical marker levels, extent, and severity of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). In total, 310 CAD patients [92 with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 111 with non-STEMI (NSTEMI), and 107 with unstable angina (UA)] and 207 healthy subjects (controls) were enrolled. Activin A levels in all participants were measured using ELISA. Angiographic measurements were performed in patients and not in the healthy subjects. Activin A levels were higher in all patient groups than in controls (patients vs. controls, p=0.041; NSTEMI vs. UA, p=0.744; STEMI vs. UA, p=0.172; NSTEMI vs. STEMI, p=0.104). According to the cut-off value of activin A level, patients with high and low activin A levels had a similar distribution of clinical and biochemical variables but the prevalence of severe stenosis was observed in groups with high activin A levels. Our results revealed that activin A levels did not decrease as thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (risk score increased (p=0.590). The area under the ROC curve for activin A levels in patients was 0.590±0.047 (95% CI: 0.439-0.591, p=0.193). In multiple analysis of the overall population, male gender (ß=-0.260; 95% CI: -617.39 to -110.04; p=0.005) was an independent predictor of activin A levels. This study indicated that activin A can not be a predictive marker in CAD and is not associated with extensive and severe CAD. In contrast, the increase in activin A levels in patients, especially in patients with different clinical groups of acute coronary syndromes, suggested its involvement in atherosclerosis.