Exploring soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and its relationship with arterial stiffness in a bi–ethnic population: the SAfrEIC–study
Date
2012Author
Schutte, Aletta E.
Myburgh, Anélda
Schutte, Rudolph
Olsen, Michael H.
Eugen-Olsen, Jesper
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Introduction: Elevated soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) indicates an inflammatory
state caused by conditions such as HIV and cancer. Recently suPARwas identified as an indicator of cardiovascular
disease (CVD). CVD is highly prevalent in black South Africans, but the potential role of suPAR is unknown.
We investigated suPAR as a possible marker of arterial stiffness in Africans and Caucasians.
Methods: This study involved 207 Africans and 314 Caucasians (aged 20–70 yrs). C-reactive protein (CRP) and
suPAR were determined in fasting blood samples. We measured blood pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV)
and Windkessel arterial compliance (Cwk).
Results: Africans displayed higher suPAR, CRP, PWV and lower Cwk (pb0.001) compared to Caucasians. SuPAR
was elevated in Africans irrespective of gender and smoking. We found strong relationships between PWV and
suPAR (r=0.27; pb0.001) and Cwk and suPAR (r=−0.39; pb0.001) in the whole group, but found no independent
relationship of any arterial stiffness measure and suPAR in Africans after adjustment for confounders.
Caucasian men indicated a weak significant independent association between Cwk and suPAR (β=−0.09;
p=0.028).
Conclusion: Africans had higher levels of suPAR and arterial stiffness than Caucasians (pb0.001), but there was
no independent relationship between arterial stiffness and suPAR in the Africans. It is speculated that due to the
inflammatory role of suPAR, it will have stronger relationships with atherosclerosis, which has not yet manifested
in this relatively young population group. SuPAR may therefore not be an ideal earlymarker of cardiovascular
dysfunction, but may rather indicate established CVD
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10394/17472http://www.thrombosisresearch.com/article/S0049-3848(11)00574-3/abstract
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2011.10.034
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