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Exploring soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and its relationship with arterial stiffness in a bi-ethnic population: the SAfrEIC-study
Thrombosis Research, 08/16/2012
Schutte AE et al. – Africans had higher levels of suPAR and arterial stiffness than Caucasians (p<0.001), 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 early marker of cardiovascular dysfunction, but may rather indicate established CVD.
Methods- This study involved 207 Africans and 314 Caucasians (aged 20–70yrs).
- C–reactive protein (CRP) and suPAR were determined in fasting blood samples.
- Authors measured blood pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and Windkessel arterial compliance (Cwk).
- Africans displayed higher suPAR, CRP, PWV and lower Cwk (p<0.001) compared to Caucasians.
- SuPAR was elevated in Africans irrespective of gender and smoking.
- Authors found strong relationships between PWV and suPAR (r=0.27; p<0.001) and Cwk and suPAR (r=–0.39; p<0.001) 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).
