Soluble RAGEs and cardiovascular risk factors in adult offspring of patients with premature coronary heart disease

Purpose: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a heterogeneous group of highly oxidant compounds which can potentiate microvascular and macrovascular complications through the formation of irreversible cross-links between molecules in the basal membrane and also by engaging the receptor for AGEs (RAGE). Soluble receptor for AGEs (sRAGE) is suggested to have a protective role neutralizing the toxic action of AGEs. We aimed to investigate differences in plasma levels of sRAGE alongside with classic cardiovascular risk factors between offspring of patients with early onset of coronary heart disease (CHD) and healthy controls.

Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional design, we examined 114 adult offspring of patients with premature CHD and 194 controls. Concentrations of soluble RAGE were quantified by ELISA methods. Aortic PWV was measured using Sphygmocor device. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to compare differences between the offspring and controls.

Results: In the offspring group there were more men (p = 0.023), both groups had similar age (28.5 vs. 28.9 years; p = 0.51). After adjustment for covariates, we observed significantly higher aPWV (6.17 vs. 5.82 m s⁻¹; p = 0.001) and lower sRAGE (1308.11 vs. 1475.59; p = 0.009) in the offspring group compared to controls. The significant determinants of the intergroup difference were sRAGE (p = 0.0017), aPWV (p = 0.011) and current smoking (p = 0.0053).

Conclusion: Offspring of patients with early onset of CHD compared to age-matched healthy controls had significantly lower sRAGE levels suggesting a shift in the oxidative balance between stressors and defence mechanisms that may influence a higher cardiovascular risk in the future. The measurement of sRAGE might be a valuable predictor for more precise stratification of cardiovascular risk.