Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars. Ahead of Print: TKDA-76839 | DOI: 10.5543/tkda.2024.76839

Pentraxin 3: A Marker for Presence and Severity in Coronary Artery Disease

Taha Okan¹, Caner Topaloğlu¹, Cihan Altın¹, Mehmet Doruk², Mehmet Birhan Yılmaz^3
1Department of Cardiology, Izmir Economy University Faculty of Medicine, İzmir, Türkiye
²Izmir Endokrinology Clinic, İzmir, Türkiye
³Department of Cardiology, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Türkiye

BACKGROUND
Atherosclerosis, a major contributor to coronary artery disease (CAD), is characterized by chronic arterial inflammation. Pentraxin 3 (PTX-3), a biomarker of inflammation, serves as an indicator of both atherosclerosis and the progression of CAD. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between PTX-3 levels and the presence and severity of CAD, as determined by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).


METHODS
In the study, 94 participants (54 with CAD and 40 controls) underwent CCTA and coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) using computed tomography, with PTX-3 levels measured by the ELISA method. CAD patients were categorized based on CCTA findings and further subdivided into three groups according to their CACS: Group I (<100), Group II (100–300), and Group III (≥300).


RESULTS
Serum PTX-3 levels were significantly higher in the CAD group. A PTX3
cut-off value of 5.80 ng/mL predicted CAD with 68% sensitivity and 66% specificity.
There was a strong positive correlation between CACS and PTX3 levels (r = 0.521, p
< 0.001), particularly in high-risk patients with a CACS over 300, where PTX3 levels
were significantly higher than in low- and intermediate-risk groups with a CACS ≥
300. No significant difference in PTX3 levels was observed between the normal coronary group, low- and intermediate-risk groups, and no correlation was found between coronary artery stenosis degree and PTX3 levels.


CONCLUSION
PTX-3 might serve as a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis and severity of CAD.

Keywords: Agatston Score, atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification, coronary artery disease, coronary computed tomography angiography, Pentraxin 3

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