Correlation of cathepsin S with coronary stenosis degree, carotid thickness, blood pressure, glucose and lipid metabolism and vascular endothelial function in atherosclerosis

Correlation of cathepsin S with coronary stenosis degree, carotid thickness, blood pressure, glucose and lipid metabolism, and vascular endothelial function in patients with atherosclerosis was investigated. Data from 120 patients with increased cathepsin S levels (increased group) and 120 subjects with normal cathepsin S levels (normal group) were retrospectively analyzed. The serum cathepsin S level and Gensini score were compared between the healthy subjects and patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, and the correlation between serum cathepsin S level and Gensini score was analyzed. The carotid thickness, mean arterial pressure, and indexes related to glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as vascular endothelial function were compared between the two groups. The correlation of the serum cathepsin S level with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), mean arterial pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC) and nitric oxide (NO) was also investigated. Patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) had higher serum cathepsin S level than those with double-vessel and single-vessel disease, and higher level than that of healthy subjects. The Gensini score of patients with multi-vessel CAD was higher than that of patients with double-vessel and single-vessel disease, as well as that of healthy subjects. The serum cathepsin S level was positively correlated with the Gensini score. Patients with increased cathepsin S level had greater IMT, higher mean arterial pressure, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin (FINS), triglyceride (TG), TC, and endothelin-1 (ET-1), however, lower NO level than those of healthy subjects. The serum cathepsin S level was positively correlated with IMT, mean arterial pressure, fasting blood glucose, and TC, however, it was negatively correlated with the NO level. In conclusion, as the serum cathepsin S level is elevated, the coronary stenosis is aggravated, the carotid thickness and blood pressure are increased, and the glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as vascular endothelial function are significantly abnormal.