Serum endostatin level as a marker for coronary artery calcification in type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective: To assess the relationship between serum endostatin (ES) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients.

Methods: The study included 110 participants with coronary artery disease (CAD); 55 with T2DM, for serum ES levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and CAC by contrast-enhanced spiral computed tomography (CT).

Results: Mean serum ES value was 66.54 ng/mL [95% confidence interval (CI), 61.77-71.32 ng/mL]. Serum ES levels positively correlated with Agatston score index [ASI; r  = 0.701, p  < 0.001; high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) r  = 0.783, p  < 0.001]. On multiple regression analysis, the highest three ES quartiles (2, 3, and 4) were related to ASI in diabetic patients, adjusted ES level was an independent predictor of CAD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.065; 95% CI, 1.008-1.126; p  = 0.026] and for the number of coronary vessels affected (OR = 1.089; 95% CI, 1.018-1.164; p  = 0.013) in T2DM patients. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis showed serum ES at a cutoff value of 86.5 ng/mL can predict the risk of CAC in T2DM, with a sensitivity of 74.1%, specificity of 71.4%, p  < 0.001 and area under curve (AUC) of 0.776.

Conclusion: Measurement of serum ES levels can improve diagnosis of CAC and could be useful as a high sensitive marker for the presence and progression of atherosclerosis in T2DM patients.