Levels of indoxyl sulfate are associated with severity of coronary atherosclerosis.

PURPOSE Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is linked to endothelial damage, NF-κB activation and induced development of atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum IS levels and the severity of coronary artery stenosis. In addition, the relationship among IS and various cardiovascular risk factors was also explored. METHODS Serum IS concentrations were measured using ultra performance liquid chromatography in 191 consecutive patients presenting with stable angina. The associations between serum IS levels and angiographic indexes of the number of diseased vessels, modified Gensini scores and calcium scores were determined. RESULTS Patients with significant coronary artery stenosis were found to have higher serum IS levels than patients with normal coronary arteries. Using multivariate analysis, serum IS levels were found to be independently associated with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). Furthermore, statistically significant correlation was observed between the serum IS levels and age, Agatston calcium score, volume calcium score, modified Gensini score, coronary lesions, coronary disease and Framingham-10 year risk score. CONCLUSION This study indicates that serum IS levels are significantly higher in the presence of CAD and correlate with the severity of the disease and coronary atherosclerosis scores, which suggest that increased serum IS may be involved in the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis.