The Association of Osteoprotegerin with Cardiovascular Disease and the New York Heart Association Classification

Background and Objectives:Recent studies have suggested that there is a significant correlation between elevated serum Osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels and cardiovascular diseases. We investigated whether the serum OPG levels were associated with heart failure (HF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and unstable angina (UA), and whether the serum OPG levels were correlated with the NYHA classifications. Subjects and Methods:The serum OPG levels were measured in 127 patients suffering with HF, AMI and UA and they were hospitalized in the cardiology department, and these values were compared to 63 healthy controls. The NYHA classification was used to define the clinical disease severity. The serum OPG level was measured by performing ELISA. Results:The serum OPG levels were significantly higher in the patients with HF and AMI than those in the control subjects (p=0.003, p=0.002, respectively). The mean OPG levels were 555, 683, 774 and 856 pg/mL for the subjects and controls, according to the NYHA classifications II, III and IV, respectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the serum OPG levels were significantly associated with HF and AMI, and when all subjects were regrouped according to NYHA classification, the serum OPG levels were also significantly associated with the NYHA classification. Conclusion:The serum OPG levels were increased in Asian patients suffering with cardiovascular disease such as HF and AMI, and they were also increased with the NYHA classification. The serum OPG level could be a marker for different stages of cardiovascular disease. (Korean Circulation J 2007;37:353-358)