Legumain in Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Substudy of the PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) Trial

Background The cysteine protease legumain is increased in patients with atherosclerosis, but its causal role in atherogenesis and cardiovascular disease is still unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of legumain with clinical outcome in a large cohort of patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods and Results Serum levels of legumain were analyzed in 4883 patients with acute coronary syndrome from a substudy of the PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) trial. Levels were analyzed at admission and after 1 month follow-up. Associations between legumain and a composite of cardiovascular death, spontaneous myocardial infarction or stroke, and its individual components were assessed by multivariable Cox regression analyses. At baseline, a 50% increase in legumain level was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.13 (95% CI, 1.04-1.21), P=0.0018, for the primary composite end point, adjusted for randomized treatment. The association remained significant after adjustment for important clinical and demographic variables (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19; P=0.013) but not in the fully adjusted model. Legumain levels at 1 month were not associated with the composite end point but were negatively associated with stroke (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44-0.88; P=0.0069), including in the fully adjusted model (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.37-0.88; P=0.0114). Conclusions Baseline legumain was associated with the primary outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome, but not in the fully adjusted model. The association between high levels of legumain at 1 month and decreased occurrence of stroke could be of interest from a mechanistic point of view, illustrating the potential dual role of legumain during atherogenesis and acute coronary syndrome. Registration URL: https://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT00391872.

Interleukin-18 in patients with acute coronary syndromes

Background

We aimed to assess associations between circulating IL‐18 concentrations and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Hypothesis and Methods

Plasma IL‐18 concentrations were measured at admission, discharge, 1 month, and 6 months in patients with ACS in the PLATelet inhibition and patient Outcomes (PLATO) trial. Associations with outcomes were evaluated with Cox regression models on the composite of CV death, spontaneous myocardial infarction (sMI), or stroke; and on CV death or sMI separately, including adjustment for clinical risk factors and biomarkers (cTnT‐hs, NT‐proBNP, cystatin C, CRP‐hs, and GDF‐15).

Results

Median IL‐18 concentrations at baseline, discharge, 1 month, and 6 months were 237, 283, 305, and 320 ng/L (n = 16 636). Male sex, obesity, diabetes, and plasma levels of cystatin C, GDF‐15, and CRP‐hs were independently associated with higher IL‐18 levels. Higher baseline IL‐18 levels were associated with the composite endpoint and with CV death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.02‐1.07 and HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.06‐1.14, respectively, per 25% increase of IL‐18 levels). Associations remained significant after adjustment for clinical variables but became non‐significant after adjustment for all biomarkers (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.98‐1.04 and HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00‐1.08, respectively). There were no associations with sMI.

Conclusions

In ACS patients, IL‐18 concentrations increased after the acute event and remained increased for 6 months. Baseline IL‐18 levels were significantly associated with CV mortality, independent of clinical characteristics and indicators of renal/cardiac dysfunction but this association was attenuated after adjustment for multiple biomarkers.

P3640Association of ceramide and phospholipid levels and cardiovascular events in stable coronary heart disease: findings from the STABILITY Biomarkers substudy

Background

Both levels of protein and lipid biomarkers have been found associated with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD). There are few large-scale studies comparing the prognostic value of and interactions between these two groups of biomarkers in CHD.

Methods

In the 15,828 CHD patients included in the STABILITY trial 10,205 provided plasma samples at baseline allowing measurements of distinct ceramide and phospholipid species by mass spectrometry and markers of cardiac dysfunction (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]), high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T [cTnT-hs]), renal dysfunction (cystatin-C), oxidative stress (growth differentiation factor 15 [GDF-15]) by electro-immunoassays. During 3.7 years median follow-up, 1291 CVD, MI, and stroke events occurred. A previously developed ceramide and phospholipid species based risk score (CERT) and its associations to outcomes before and after adjustment were evaluated by Cox-regression models.

Results

The CERT model was significantly associated to all cardiovascular outcomes before and after adjustment for clinical characteristics and routine laboratory tests. However, the associations were attenuated after adjustment for other prognostic biomarkers. The data are summarized in Table 1 below.

Table 1. HR per 1 SD increase in CERT HR (95% CI) p-value MACE Model 1 1.30 (1.24–1.37) <0.0001 Model 2 1.23 (1.16–1.31) <0.0001 Model 3 1.08 (1.02–1.15) 0.0120 CVD Death Model 1 1.57 (1.45–1.69) <0.0001 Model 2 1.38 (1.26–1.50) <0.0001 Model 3 1.14 (1.04–1.26) 0.0052 MACE = CVD death, stroke and MI. Model 1 includes score and randomized treatment. Model 2 includes score, randomized treatment, age, gender, and prior (MI, coronary revas., multivessel CHD), B/L diabetes, hypertension, history of smoking, PVD, region, B/L systolic BP, B/L BMI, HB, WBC, CKD-EPI, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG. Model 3 includes the following covariates in addition to Model 2: TnT-hs, proBNP, Cystatin-C, CRP-hs and IL-6.

Conclusion

A ceramide/phospholipids based risk score is associated with the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events in patients with stable CHD. The score is attenuated by adjustment for biomarkers indicating cardiorenal dysfunction and inflammatory activity and may be related to underlying mechanisms for adverse outcomes in stable CHD.

Acknowledgement/Funding

The original STABILITY study was funded by GlaxoSmithKline

Pentraxin-3 vs C-reactive protein and other prognostic biomarkers in acute coronary syndrome: A substudy of the Platelet Inhibition and Patients Outcomes (PLATO) trial

AIMS

We investigated the dynamics, associations with patient characteristics, other biomarkers, and clinical outcomes of pentraxin 3 in acute coronary syndrome.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In multivariate analyses, pentraxin 3 measured in 5154 patients randomised in the Platelet Inhibition and Patients Outcomes (PLATO) trial (NCT00391872) was compared with leukocytes, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, cystatin C, N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity troponin T and growth differentiation factor 15 concerning prediction of clinical outcome. Pentraxin 3 peaked earlier than high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and was more strongly correlated with N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T than with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. The frequency of cardiovascular death, spontaneous myocardial infarction or stroke by quartiles of pentraxin 3 at admission was 6.1%, 7.3%, 9.7% and 10.7%, respectively (p<0.0001). The hazard ratio per 50% increase of pentraxin 3 was 1.13 (95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.19), p<0.0001. This association remained significant after stepwise adjustments for leukocytes/high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (1.09 (1.02-1.15)), p=0.009, interleukin-6 (1.07 (1.01-1.14)), p=0.026, and cystatin C (1.07 (1.00-1.13)), p=0.044, but not after adjustment for N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity troponin T and growth differentiation factor 15. Admission pentraxin 3 was also associated with several of the individual endpoint components (cardiovascular death/spontaneous myocardial infarction; p=0.008, cardiovascular death; p=0.026, and spontaneous myocardial infarction; p=0.017), but not with stroke. Pentraxin 3 measured in the chronic phase (i.e. at one month) was still predictive of the composite endpoint in univariate analysis (1.12 (1.04-1.20) per 50% increase) p=0.0024, but not after adjustment for the other biomarkers.

CONCLUSION

Admission level of pentraxin 3 is a modestly stronger predictor than high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, but not than N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide or high-sensitivity troponin T, concerning cardiovascular outcome in acute coronary syndrome. Pentraxin 3 is more strongly correlated with N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T than with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.