Correlation between fetuin-A and matrix Gla protein levels in human serum

Mori, Katsuhito; Ikari, Yuji; Jono, Shuichi; Emoto, Masanori; Shioi, Atsushi; Koyama, Hidenori; Shoji, Tetsuo; Ishimura, Eiji; Inaba, Masaaki; Hara, Kazuhiro; Nishizawa, Yoshiki

doi:10.1016/j.artres.2010.06.002

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Volume 4, Issue 3 , Pages 91-93, September 2010

Correlation between fetuin-A and matrix Gla protein levels in human serum

Katsuhito Mori
- The Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +81 6 6645 3806; fax: +81 6 6645 3808.
Yuji Ikari
- The Division of Cardiology, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Shuichi Jono
- The Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan
Masanori Emoto
- The Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan
Atsushi Shioi
- The Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
Hidenori Koyama
- The Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan
Tetsuo Shoji
- The Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan
Eiji Ishimura
- The Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan
Masaaki Inaba
- The Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan
Kazuhiro Hara
- The Division of Cardiology, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Yoshiki Nishizawa
- The Department of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan

Received 16 March 2010; received in revised form 27 May 2010; accepted 7 June 2010. published online 26 July 2010.

Abstract

Background

Vascular calcification is frequently found in hemodialysis patients. Fetuin-A is a well-characterized circulating inhibitor of calcification. Several other bone-associated proteins, such as the matrix Gla protein (MGP), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and osteopontin (OPN), are also presumed to inhibit vascular calcification. However, little is known about the relationship between fetuin-A and other calcification inhibitors. In this study, we examined the association of fetuin-A with MGP, OPG, and OPN.

Methods

We consecutively enrolled 92 subjects who were suspected to have coronary artery diseases. Serum levels of fetuin-A, MGP, OPG, and OPN were measured using ELISA.

Results

Fetuin-A level was significantly correlated with MGP level (p = 0.242, p = 0.021). On the other hand, the fetuin-A level was not correlated with OPG (p = 0.048, p = 0.649) and OPN (p = 0.007, p = 0.948) levels.

Conclusions

We found the positive correlation between fetuin-A and MGP levels in human serum. Fetuin-A may collaborate with MGP to inhibit vascular calcification.

Keywords: Fetuin-A, Matrix Gla protein, Osteoprotegerin, Osteopontin, Vascular calcification