Chemerin levels as predictor of acute coronary events: A case-control study nested within the veterans affairs normative aging study

Objective Chemerin is a recently identified adipocytokine that has been positively correlated with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, no studies have examined circulating chemerin levels as a predictor of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether chemerin levels predict the onset of ACS. Materials/Methods We studied 90 men whose serum had been collected at least 2 years before the development of ACS, and 162 controls matched with the cases in a 1:2 fashion for age and year of collection. The mean age of the cohort was 66.3 ± 9.6 years (range 34-84 years). Serum chemerin levels were measured with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Age was positively associated with chemerin levels (r = 0.39, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for years since blood collection, demonstrated a null association between chemerin levels and the odds ratio for development of ACS (OR: 0.99, 95% CI [0.99-1.001]). This association remained null after adjusting for age (OR: 0.99 95% CI [0.99-1.001]). Conclusions Although cross-sectional and case-control studies suggest a positive association between chemerin levels and CAD, we demonstrate that chemerin levels do not predict the development of ACS.