Relations of Inflammatory Biomarkers and Common Genetic Variants With Arterial Stiffness and Wave Reflection

Inflammation causes vascular dysfunction and perpetuates proatherosclerotic processes. We hypothesized that a broad panel of inflammatory biomarkers and single nucleotide polymorphisms in inflammatory genes is associated with vascular stiffness. We assessed 12 circulating inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, interleukin-6, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase-A2 [mass and activity], monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, myeloperoxidase, CD40 ligand, osteoprotegerin, P-selectin, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-II) in relation to tonometry variables (central pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure, forward pressure wave, reflected pressure wave, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and augmentation index) measured in 2409 Framingham Heart Study participants (mean age60 years; 55% women; 13% ethnic/racial minorities). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (n=2195) in 240 inflammatory candidate genes were related to tonometry measures in 1036 white individuals. In multivariable analyses, biomarkers explained