on May 17, 2007
Published online before print May 17, 2007, doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.107.146274
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Submitted on February 21, 2007
Accepted on May 7, 2007
Serum Adipocyte Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Levels Were Independently Associated With Carotid Atherosclerosis
D. C.Y. Yeung ;
From the Department of Medicine (D.C.Y.Y., A.X., N.M.S.W., M.H.Y., C.H.Y.F., K.S.L.L.) and the Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone, and Healthy Aging (D.C.Y.Y., A.X., N.M.S.W., M.H.Y., K.S.L.L.), Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, and the Department of Radiology (C.W.S.C., M.T.C.), Queen Mary Hospital, HKSAR, China.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ksllam{at}hkucc.hku.hk.
Objective--Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) has been shown to be an important player in atherosclerosis in animal models. However, the clinical relevance of these findings is still unknown. This study aims to examine the relationship between serum A-FABP level and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), an indicator of atherosclerosis in humans.
Methods and Results--The study cohort included 479 Chinese subjects who underwent carotid IMT measurement. Serum A-FABP levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Serum A-FABP levels positively correlated with carotid IMT in both men (r=0.211, P=0.001) and women (r=0.435, P<0.001). In women, but not in men, the presence of plaques was associated with significantly higher serum A-FABP levels (P<0.001 versus women without plaques). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that serum A-FABP level was independently associated with carotid IMT in women (P=0.034), together with age and hypertension (both P<0.001).
Conclusions--A-FABP is an independent determinant of carotid atherosclerosis in Chinese women, but not in men. This gender difference may be attributed to the lower serum A-FABP levels in men, and the effect of other risk factors, such as smoking, among our male participants. Our results have provided clinical evidence supporting the role of A-FABP in the development of atherosclerosis.
Key words: adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein • obesity • atherosclerosis • carotid intima-media thickness • Chinese
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  D. C.Y. Yeung, Y. Wang, A. Xu, S. C.W. Cheung, N. M.S. Wat, D. Y.T. Fong, C. H.Y. Fong, M.T. Chau, P. C. Sham, and K. S.L. Lam Epidermal fatty-acid-binding protein: a new circulating biomarker associated with cardio-metabolic risk factors and carotid atherosclerosis Eur. Heart J., September 1, 2008; 29(17): 2156 - 2163. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 X. Zhang, D. C.Y. Yeung, M. Karpisek, D. Stejskal, Z.-G. Zhou, F. Liu, R. L.C. Wong, W.-S. Chow, A. W.K. Tso, K. S.L. Lam, et al. Serum FGF21 Levels Are Increased in Obesity and Are Independently Associated With the Metabolic Syndrome in Humans Diabetes, May 1, 2008; 57(5): 1246 - 1253. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. Takata, H. Osawa, M. Kurata, M. Kurokawa, J. Yamauchi, M. Ochi, W. Nishida, T. Okura, J. Higaki, and H. Makino Hyperresistinemia Is Associated With Coexistence of Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Hypertension, February 1, 2008; 51(2): 534 - 539. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Cabre, I. Lazaro, J. Girona, J. M. Manzanares, F. Marimon, N. Plana, M. Heras, and L. Masana Plasma Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 4 Increases with Renal Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetic Patients without Microalbuminuria Clin. Chem., January 1, 2008; 54(1): 181 - 187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. W.K. Tso, A. Xu, P. C. Sham, N. M.S. Wat, Y. Wang, C. H.Y. Fong, B. M.Y. Cheung, E. D. Janus, and K. S.L. Lam Serum Adipocyte Fatty Acid Binding Protein as a New Biomarker Predicting the Development of Type 2 Diabetes: A 10-year prospective study in a Chinese cohort Diabetes Care, October 1, 2007; 30(10): 2667 - 2672. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|