Epicardial, paracardial and perivascular fat quantity, genes expression and serum cytokines in coronary artery disease and diabetes

INTRODUCTION: Obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM) are common disorders that increase cardiovascular risk and lead to coronary artery disease (CAD). OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to assess the link between epicardial fat (EF) volume and paracardial fat (PF) volume, relative expressions of several genes in epicardial, paracardial, and perivascular fat and corresponding serum cytokines in patients with CAD in relation to DM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 66 consecutive patients (33 with DM) with multivessel CAD were included. We obtained cardiac magnetic resonance, serum cytokines levels, and their relative mRNA expressions in EF, PF, and perivascular fat samples of the following: adrenomedullin (ADM), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP), receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE), thrombospondin 1 (THSB1), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). RESULTS: There were no differences in the anthropometric parameters or fat depots, except for higher epicardial fat volume in patients with DM (mean [SD], 105.6 [38.5] ml vs 84 [29.2] ml; P = 0.02). Patients with DM exhibited a significantly increased RAGE expression in EF (median [Q1-Q3], 0.17 [0.06-1.48] AU vs 0.08 [0.02-0.24] AU, P = 0.03). Diabetes was also associated with increased expression of ADM in EF and PF and decreased expression of FGF21 compared with patients without DM. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with multivessel CAD and DM revealed increased volume and more dysfunctional profile of gene expressions in EF and significantly decreased expression of cardioprotective FGF21.