Abstract:

Objective To explore the association of arteriosclerosis with plasma resistin and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Methods Three hundred and sixty-eight subjects undergoing ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at Shanghai Institute of Hypertension were enrolled, and all subjects had not taken antihypertensive drugs for at least 2 weeks. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured, and plasma concentrations of resistin and hs-CRP were examined with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyse the association between plasma inflammation markers and arteriosclerosis. Results Hs-CRP (r≥0.13, P≤0.02), but not resistin (r≤0.04, P≥0.44), was significantly associated with baPWV in both simple and partial correlation analyses after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index and systolic blood pressure. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that age and systolic blood pressure accounted for 42% of the variation of baPWV, while hs-CRP only explained 0.7% of the variation. Conclusion Plasma hs-CRP, but not resistin, is independently associated with arteriosclerosis. Aging and elevated systolic blood pressure are major determinants of arteriosclerosis, while inflammation has less impact on arteriosclerosis.

Key words: hypertension, arteriosclerosis, inflammation, resistin, C-reactive protein, pulse wave velocity