Chern Yahn-Bor, Lee Po-Sheng, Wang Ji-Hung, Tsai Jen-Pi, Hsu Bang-Gee
Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yuan's General Hospital, Kaohsiung 80249, Taiwan.
Department of Internal Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97004, Taiwan.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2025 Jul 1;61(7):1204. doi: 10.3390/medicina61071204.
: Sclerostin and dickkopf-1 (DKK1), which are Wnt inhibitors, are involved in vascular calcification and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic peripheral artery disease (PAD) is highly prevalent, particularly in patients with hypertension. This study aimed to explore the association between serum concentrations of Wnt pathway inhibitors and PAD in patients with hypertension. : This cross-sectional trial recruited 92 patients with hypertension. PAD was defined as an ankle-brachial index < 0.9. The levels of sclerostin, DKK1, C-reactive protein (CRP), and other biochemical markers were assessed using fasting blood samples. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were conducted. : Patients with PAD (15.2%) had significantly higher serum sclerostin ( < 0.001) and CRP ( = 0.001) levels than those without PAD. However, the two groups did not significantly differ in terms of the DKK1 levels. Based on the multivariate analysis, sclerostin was an independent predictor of PAD (odds ratio: 1.054 per 1 pmol/L increase, 95% confidence interval: 1.019-1.090, = 0.002) after adjusting for body mass index, fasting glucose levels, diabetes, smoking, and CRP levels. Sclerostin had a strong discriminatory power for diagnosing PAD according to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (area under the curve: 0.806, < 0.001), with the best cutoff value of 71.5 pmol/L (sensitivity: 71.4%, specificity: 78.2%). Further, sclerostin was negatively associated with the ankle-brachial index, renal function, and dyslipidemia markers. : Serum sclerostin levels are independently related to an increased risk for PAD in patients with hypertension. Therefore, it can be a potential biomarker for risk stratification and early diagnosis.
硬化素和Dickkopf-1(DKK1)作为Wnt通路抑制剂,参与血管钙化和动脉粥样硬化过程。动脉粥样硬化性外周动脉疾病(PAD)非常普遍,尤其是在高血压患者中。本研究旨在探讨高血压患者血清中Wnt通路抑制剂浓度与PAD之间的关联。:这项横断面试验招募了92名高血压患者。PAD定义为踝臂指数<0.9。使用空腹血样评估硬化素、DKK1、C反应蛋白(CRP)和其他生化标志物的水平。进行了单因素和多因素逻辑回归分析以及受试者工作特征曲线分析。:患有PAD的患者(15.2%)血清硬化素水平(<0.001)和CRP水平(=0.001)显著高于无PAD的患者。然而,两组在DKK1水平方面无显著差异。基于多因素分析,在调整体重指数、空腹血糖水平、糖尿病、吸烟和CRP水平后,硬化素是PAD的独立预测因子(优势比:每增加1 pmol/L为1.054,95%置信区间:1.019 - 1.090,=0.002)。根据受试者工作特征曲线分析,硬化素对诊断PAD具有较强的鉴别能力(曲线下面积:0.806,<0.001),最佳截断值为71.5 pmol/L(敏感性:71.4%,特异性:78.2%)。此外,硬化素与踝臂指数、肾功能和血脂异常标志物呈负相关。:血清硬化素水平与高血压患者发生PAD的风险增加独立相关。因此,它可能是风险分层和早期诊断的潜在生物标志物。