Axel C Carlsson1, Jan-Håkan Jansson2, Stefan Söderberg3, Toralph Ruge4, Anders Larsson5, Johan Ärnlöv6. 1. Centre for Family Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: axelcefam@hotmail.com. 2. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Research Unit Skellefteå, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 3. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Heart Centre, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 4. Dept of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet and Function of Emergency Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden. 5. Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. 6. Centre for Family Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; School of Health and Social Sciences, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Soluble receptors for tumor necrosis factor alpha (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2) have been associated with cardiovascular diseases, and some evidence points towards a difference in associated risk between men and women. We aimed to study the association between sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 and incident myocardial infarctions (MI) and to explore the influence of established cardiovascular risk factors in men and women. METHODS: We conducted a nested case control study in three large Swedish cohorts, including 533 myocardial infarction cases, and 1003 age-, sex- and cohort-matched controls. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: An association between circulating sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 and an increased risk for MI was found when comparing cases and controls. The odds ratios were significant after adjustment for established cardiovascular risk factors and C-reactive protein in women (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.08-1.93 for TNFR1, and 1.61, 95% CI 1.11-2.34 for TNFR2), but was abolished in men. Women with a combination of elevated CRP and values in the upper quartile of TNFR1 or TNFR2 had a 5-fold higher risk of myocardial infarction versus those with normal CRP and values in the lower three quartiles of TNFR1 or TNFR2. CONCLUSIONS: As the risk estimates for TNFR1 and TNFR2 were higher and remained significant after adjustments for established cardiovascular risk factors in women but not in men, a potential role for TNFR1 and TNFR2 in identifying women with a higher MI risk is possible. The future clinical role of TNFR1 and TNFR2 in combination with CRP to identify high risk patients for coronary heart disease has yet to be determined.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Soluble receptors for tumor necrosis factor alpha (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2) have been associated with cardiovascular diseases, and some evidence points towards a difference in associated risk between men and women. We aimed to study the association between sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 and incident myocardial infarctions (MI) and to explore the influence of established cardiovascular risk factors in men and women. METHODS: We conducted a nested case control study in three large Swedish cohorts, including 533 myocardial infarction cases, and 1003 age-, sex- and cohort-matched controls. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: An association between circulating sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 and an increased risk for MI was found when comparing cases and controls. The odds ratios were significant after adjustment for established cardiovascular risk factors and C-reactive protein in women (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.08-1.93 for TNFR1, and 1.61, 95% CI 1.11-2.34 for TNFR2), but was abolished in men. Women with a combination of elevated CRP and values in the upper quartile of TNFR1 or TNFR2 had a 5-fold higher risk of myocardial infarction versus those with normal CRP and values in the lower three quartiles of TNFR1 or TNFR2. CONCLUSIONS: As the risk estimates for TNFR1 and TNFR2 were higher and remained significant after adjustments for established cardiovascular risk factors in women but not in men, a potential role for TNFR1 and TNFR2 in identifying women with a higher MI risk is possible. The future clinical role of TNFR1 and TNFR2 in combination with CRP to identify high risk patients for coronary heart disease has yet to be determined.