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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: EJE-08-0554v1 159/5/603    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Nybo, M. Articles by Rasmussen, L. M PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nybo, M. Articles by Rasmussen, L. M

The capability of plasma osteoprotegerin as a predictor of cardiovascular disease: a systematic literature review

Department of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark

(Correspondence should be addressed to M Nybo; Email: mads.nybo{at}ouh.regionsyddanmark.dk)

Objective: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) strongly inhibits bone resorption and may also serve as a vascular calcification inhibitor. However, recent studies have indicated that high plasma OPG is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. To evaluate this capability, the data concerning OPG as a CVD predictor was gathered through a systematic literature review.

Design and methods: Studies investigating OPG as a predictor of CVD or mortality were extracted from Medline and the Cochrane Library, retrieving 187 articles. Non-relevant articles were excluded, resulting in a total of 45 articles. After thorough evaluation of the abstracts, only eight prospective studies containing a follow-up period with a clinical emphasis on CVD were eligible for the literature review.

Results: All studies except one confirmed that OPG measurement adds important prognostic information to the existing markers of CVD and mortality in high-risk populations. Hazard ratios emphasized the significant correlation between plasma OPG concentration and mortality. Due to methodological problems (e.g., population investigated, measurement principle, and statistics performed), meta-analysis could not be performed. As only one study was conducted in a healthy cohort, the results cannot per se be extrapolated to the general population.

Conclusion: The combined results support plasma OPG as an independent predictor of CVD and mortality in high-risk populations. However, more longitudinal studies in general cohorts are needed before the use of plasma OPG can be evaluated in this regard.

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				M. Nybo, S. P. Johnsen, C. Dethlefsen, K. Overvad, A. Tjonneland, J. O. L. Jorgensen, and L. M. Rasmussen Lack of Observed Association between High Plasma Osteoprotegerin Concentrations and Ischemic Stroke Risk in a Healthy Population Clin. Chem., December 1, 2008; 54(12): 1969 - 1974. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]