Association of serum fetuin-A with carotid arterial stiffness

Summary Objective   Fetuin-A is a circulating glycoprotein which is well characterized as an inhibitor of ectopic calcification. Vascular calcification commonly found in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is a predictor of cardiovascular death. Recently, several groups have demonstrated that low fetuin-A levels are associated with mortality in uraemic patients, possibly through regulation of vascular calcification. However, the physiological significance of fetuin-A in atherosclerosis remains unknown, except in specific conditions, such as vascular calcification in CKD patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between serum fetuin-A levels and arterial stiffness, a functional property of atherosclerosis, in healthy subjects. Patients and measurements   The study subjects comprised 141 healthy subjects. We measured serum fetuin-A levels and stiffness parameter β for the common carotid artery, which was assessed by ultrasound using a phase-locked echo-tracking system. Results   Simple regression analyses indicated that serum fetuin-A levels were significantly correlated with stiffness parameter β (r = 0·200, P = 0·018). Multiple regression analyses showed that, besides age, fetuin-A (β = 0·166, P = 0·033) independently contribute to the stiffness parameter β (R2 = 0·310, P < 0·0001). Conclusions   Serum fetuin-A level is associated with carotid arterial stiffness, independent of known atherogenic factors in healthy subjects.