A novel association between TGFb1 and ADAMTS4 in coronary artery disease: A new potential mechanism in the progression of atherosclerosis and diabetes

Coronary artery disease is characterized by atherosclerosis in the vessel wall. Recently, it has been thought that increasing LDL-binding capacity of subendothelial proteoglycan fragments that are formed by protease activity can be responsible for the initiation of atherosclerosis. ADAMTS4 is a member of the versican-degrading proteinases. In vitro studies demonstrated that TGFb inhibits the expression of ADAMTS4 in macrophages. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role and association between TGFb1 and ADAMTS4 in coronary artery disease. A total of 84 cases with atheroma plaque and 72 controls without plaque were analyzed. The severity of disease was determined by Gensini score. TGFb1 gene polymorphisms were genotyped by the PCR-RFLP method. TGFb1 and ADAMTS4 serum levels were measured by ELISA method. Statistical analyses of genotypes and their relationship with serum levels were performed by chi-square, student t test and ANOVA. ADAMTS4 levels were higher in cases compared with controls (p