Increased Circulating Cathepsin L in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

• Published in: International Heart Journal Vol. 62; no. 1; pp. 9 - 15
• Main Authors: Yu, Chenglin, Wan, Ying, Xu, Wenhu, Jin, Xiongjie, Zhang, Shengming, Xin, Minglong, Jiang, Haiying, Cheng, Xianwu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan International Heart Journal Association 30.01.2021; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Acute Coronary Syndrome - blood; Adult; Aged; Angina; Angina pectoris; Angina, Stable - blood; Angiography; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis - blood; Atherosclerosis - physiopathology; Biomarker; Biomarkers - blood; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Cardiovascular disease; Case-Control Studies; Cathepsin L; Cathepsin L - metabolism; China - epidemiology; Cholesterol; Collagen (type I); Collagenase; Coronary Angiography - methods; Coronary artery; Coronary Artery Disease - blood; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Artery Disease - epidemiology; Coronary Artery Disease - surgery; Coronary vessels; Cysteine protease; Female; Heart diseases; High-sensitive C-reactive protein; Humans; Ischemic heart disease; Lipoproteins, HDL - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention - methods; Plasma; Prevalence; China; Ischemic heart disease; Biomarker; High-sensitive C-reactive protein; Cysteine protease
• ISSN: 1349-2365; 1349-3299
• DOI: 10.1536/ihj.20-182

Cathepsin L (CatL) is a potent collagenase involved in atherosclerotic vascular remodeling and dysfunction in animals and humans. This study investigated the hypothesis that plasma CatL is associated with the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Between February May 2011 and January 2013, 206 consecutive subjects were enrolled from among patients who underwent coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention treatment. Age-matched subjects (n = 215) served as controls. Plasma CatL and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured. The patients with CAD had significantly higher plasma CatL levels compared to the controls (1.4 ± 0.4 versus 0.4 ± 0.2 ng/mL, P < 0.001), and the patients with acute coronary syndrome had significantly higher plasma CatL levels compared to those with stable angina pectoris (1.7 ± 0.7 versus 0.8 ± 0.4 ng/mL, P < 0.01). Linear regression analysis showed that overall, the plasma CatL levels were inversely correlated with the high-density lipoprotein levels (r = −0.32, P < 0.01) and positively with hs-CRP levels (r = 0.35, P < 0.01). Multiple logistic regression analyses shows that cathepsin L levels were independent predictors of CAD (add ratio, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.1; P < 0.01). These data demonstrated that increased levels of plasma CatL are closely associated with the presence of CAD and that circulating CatL serves as a useful biomarker for CAD.