The FCGR2A Is Associated with the Presence of Atherosclerotic Plaques in the Carotid Arteries-A Case-Control Study

J Clin Med. 2023 Oct 12;12(20):6480. doi: 10.3390/jcm12206480.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Bialystok, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 24A, 15-276 Białystok, Poland.
² Department of Population Medicine and Lifestyle Diseases Prevention, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 13a, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland.
³ Department of Informatics, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45A, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland.
⁴ Clinical Research Centre, Medical University of Bialystok, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 24A, 15-276 Białystok, Poland.
⁵ Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 24A, 15-276 Białystok, Poland.
⁶ Department of Invasive Cardiology, Medical University of Bialystok, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 24A, 15-276 Białystok, Poland.

Abstract

Background: Atherosclerotic plaques in carotid arteries (APCA) are a prevalent condition with severe potential complications. Studies continuously search for innovative biomarkers for APCA, including those participating in cellular metabolic processes, cell adhesion, immune response, and complement activation. This study aimed to assess the relationship between APCA presence and a broad range of cardiometabolic biomarkers in the general population.

Methods: The study group consisted of consecutive participants of the population study Bialystok PLUS. The proximity extension assay (PEA) technique from the Olink Laboratory (Uppsala, Sweden) was used to measure the levels of 92 cardiometabolic biomarkers.

Results: The study comprised 693 participants (mean age 48.78 ± 15.27 years, 43.4% males, N = 301). APCA was identified in 46.2% of the participants (N = 320). Of the 92 biomarkers that were investigated, 54 were found to be significantly linked to the diagnosis of APCA. After adjusting for the traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis in multivariate analysis, the only biomarker that remained significantly associated with APCA was FCGR2A.

Conclusion: In the general population, the prevalence of APCA is very high. A range of biomarkers are linked with APCA. Nonetheless, the majority of these associations are explained by traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis. The only biomarker that was independently associated with APCA was the FCGR2A.

Keywords: FCGR2A; atherosclerotic plaques in carotid arteries; cardiometabolic; carotid atherosclerosis; rs1801274.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by funds from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Poland) within the project “The Excellence Initiative—Research University” (proteomic research) and from statutory funds of the Medical University of Bialystok. The funding source had no involvement in study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the report, or decision to submit the article for publication.