Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of pentraxin 3 (PTX3) values in healthy subjects and to characterize its relationship with gender, age, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, and blood sugar levels.

Methods: A Japanese population of 1749 healthy subjects (818 men and 931 women) with a mean (SD) age of 59.6 (11.4) years (range 37–87 years) were examined.

Results: Plasma PTX3 levels (PTX3 data are expressed as the geometric mean and confidence intervals) were i) significantly lower in men than in women (1.87 [1.81, 1.94] ng/mL vs. 2.12 [2.05, 2.19] ng/mL, p<0.0001), ii) significantly higher in the high age group (men, lowest quartile 1.62 [1.50, 1.74] ng/mL vs. highest quartile 2.14 [2.02, 2.27] ng/mL, p<0.001; women, lowest quartile 2.05 [1.92, 2.18] ng/mL vs. highest quartile 2.23 [2.02, 2.46] ng/mL, p<0.05), iii) inversely correlated with triglycerides (r=−0.19 in men and r=−0.18 in women, p<0.00001), and BMI (r=−0.16 in men and r=−0.24 in women, p<0.00001), and iv) lower in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS) than in the absence of MetS (1.82 [1.70, 1.95] ng/mL vs. 2.11 [2.06, 2.16] ng/mL, p=0.021).

Conclusions: We defined the normal range of plasma PTX3 in healthy Japanese subjects, and also showed the relationship between plasma PTX3 levels and established coronary risk factors, including MetS. PTX3 could be an ideal biomarker because it is a marker relatively independent from established coronary risk factors.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2009;47:471–7.