Visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor (VASPIN) as a prognostic marker in systemic hypertension

Abstract

Background: Visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor (VASPIN) is an adipocytokine that exerts anti-migratory and anti-inflammatory roles through certain anti-oxidative effects in the peripheral vascular wall. Objective: In this study, we studied the relevance of plasma VASPIN levels in patients with hypertension, correlating VASPIN level assay to absence or occurrence of hypertension and its related complications. Patient and Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study. A total of 87 subjects were included, divided into 21 age- and sex- matched control (patients’ healthy relatives of some of the study- patients) and 66 hypertensive patients. Of the 66 patients with hypertension, thirty-two were newly diagnosed with uncomplicated essential hypertension and thirty four hypertensive patients with macro- and/or microvascular/ complications. Patients with any other chronic diseases like diabetes, chronic renal disease, liver disease, any rheumatological disease and malignancy were excluded. Plasma VASPIN levels and clinical parameters were assessed at baseline for all studied groups. Results: Comparing VASPIN levels among hypertensive patients showed a negative correlation between serum VASPIN levels and hypertension. Serum VASPIN levels were found lower in the newly diagnosed uncomplicated hypertensive patients group than in control group, and much lower in those with macrovascular and/or microvascular complications group compared to both uncomplicated hypertensive and control groups. Conclusions: Plasma VASPIN may be used as an independent predictive biomarker for early detection of macrovascular and/or microvascular hypertensive complications.