Assessment of the synergistic association of serum concentration of vitamin D, vitamin K and osteocalcin with coronary atherosclerosis in patients undergoing angiography

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the association between serum concentration of vitamin D, vitamin K, and osteocalcin with coronary atherosclerosis in patients undergoing angiography. Design: In this case-control study, 138 people who referred to Bushehr Heart Center for routine examination participated. Demographic information of the participants was registered by using a standard questionnaire. Before undergoing the angiographic processes, venous blood samples were obtained via venipuncture from the antecubital vein into gel and clot activator tubes and stored at – 80 °C until the analysis. After the angiography process was over, the normal participants entered the control group and those with coronary atherosclerosis plaque placed in the case group. Finally, serum levels of vitamin K2 and Osteocalcin were measured in the samples, by using ELISA kits and the serum level of vitamin D was measured by using HPLC. Result: serum levels of vitamin D in the case group were significantly lower than in the control (p = 0.009) and, serum levels of osteocalcin in the case group were significantly higher than in the control (P = 0.019). There was no difference in K2 level between the two groups (P = 0.84). By separating the three factors like age, sex and T2DM in the two groups, a significant synergistic was found between the concentration of osteocalcin, vitamin D (just in <20 ng/ml) and coronary atherosclerosis (p = 0.025, p = 0.029 respectively). Further, an association was observed between vitamin D level and the severity of atherosclerosis (P = 0.041).). Conclusion: the results of this study suggest that the increase in the level of osteocalcin and the deficiency of vitamin D is significantly associated with coronary atherosclerosis but, not with vitamin k2. Moreover, serum vitamin D concentration is associated with severity of coronary atherosclerosis.