African Journal of Medical Case Reports

African Journal of Medical Case Reports Vol. 4 (3), pp. 001-006, March, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Osteopontin a new probable marker for atherosclerosis in obese women?

G. Gürsoy*, S. Alagöz, Y. Acar, B. Demirba , H. Çetiner and Z. Kiliç

Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.

Accepted 21 October, 2015

Abstract

Obesity is associated with a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation characterized by abnormal cytokine production and macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue, which may contribute to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. It was emphasized that inflamation takes part in all stages and complications of atherosclerosis. Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional protein involved in various inflammatory processes, cell migration, and tissue remodeling. This study evaluated the role of OPN in female patients who have at least one risk factor for atherosclerosis such as obesity. The study included 45 morbidly obese normotensive female patients and 22 age and sex-matched control subjects. As well as making physical and antropometric examinations, fasting plasma glucose and insulin, post prandial plasma glucose and insulin, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein a, OPN levels were obtained in all female person. In this study we investigated atherosclerosis indirectly. Our obese group had significantly higher levels in glucose and lipid parameters as well as antropometric measures. Obese group also had significantly higher plasma OPN and C -reactive protein levels than the control group (p < 0.05). We also performed the correlation analysis of the groups and found positive correlations in OPN levels and body mass index, C-reactive protein, fasting insulin. In conclusion, our data may point toward a role of OPN in atherosclerosis and obesity.

Key words: Osteopontin, atherosclerosis, obesity.