The Relationship between Serum and Gene Expression Levels of RANK, RANKL and Osteoprotegerin Inflammatory Pathway with Unstable Angina: A Case-control Study

• Published in: Iranian journal of allergy, asthma, and immunology Vol. 20; no. 4; p. 473
• Main Authors: Farrokhian, Alireza, Miraftab, Mahtab, Chenari, Minoo, Akbari, Hossein, Nikoueinejad, Hassan, Naimi, Effat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Iran Tehran University of Medical Sciences 07-08-2021
• Subjects: Angina; Angina pectoris; Angina, Unstable - blood; Angina, Unstable - diagnosis; Angina, Unstable - etiology; Biomarkers; Bone tumors; Bone turnover; Case-Control Studies; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Gene Expression; Humans; Immune system; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators; Leukocytes (mononuclear); Myocardial infarction; NF-κB protein; Osteoprotegerin; Osteoprotegerin - blood; Osteoprotegerin - genetics; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Polymerase chain reaction; Prognosis; RANK ligand; RANK Ligand - blood; RANK Ligand - genetics; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B - blood; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B - genetics; Serum levels; Severity of Illness Index; Signal Transduction; Thrombolysis; TRANCE protein; Tumor necrosis factor; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Unstable angina; RANK ligand; Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B; Unstable angina; Osteoprotegerin
• DOI: 10.18502/ijaai.v20i4.6957
• EISSN: 1735-5249
• ISSN: 1735-1502

 Osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL), the members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family, have multiple effects on bone metabolism, endocrine functions and, as an inflammatory pathway, in the immune system. This study tried to determine the association of the OPG/RANKL/RANK axis with the severity of unstable angina (UA) as an inflammatory condition. Our study involved 50 patients with UA and 50 healthy people. Serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from all participants. Serum levels and gene expression of OPG, RANKL, and RANK in mononuclear cells were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. For each patient with UA, the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) and the global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE) scores were determined to evaluate the severity of the disease. Then we analyzed the relation of OPG, RANKL, and RANK levels with TIMI and GRACE scores in patients with UA. Discriminate analysis was used to predict the combinational models of such factors on the prediction of UA. Serum levels of OPG and RANKL (p<0.001) and gene expression of RANKL (p<0.001) were significantly more in patients than those in healthy ones. No relation was seen between the OPG/RANKL/RANK axis and the severity of UA according to TIMI and GRACE scores. Our study shows that serum level, as well as gene expression of OPG/RANKL/RANK axis neither, predicts the occurrence of UA nor shows any relationship with its severity.