Association between Serum Progranulin and Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Case-Control Study.

INTRODUCTION

Progranulin (PGRN), a secreted glycoprotein, plays a crucial role in several biological processes. However, its association with cognitive impairment in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum PGRN levels and cognitive impairment in patients with CAD.

METHODS

A total of 177 patients with CAD and 150 non-CAD controls were included, and serum PGRN concentrations and other CAD-related risk factors were measured. Cognitive function was assessed, and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

RESULTS

In a comparison between patients with CAD (n = 177) and non-CAD (n = 150), CAD with MCI (n = 64), and CAD without MCI (n = 113), patients with CAD and CAD with MCI had significantly lower levels of PGRN (94.99 ± 11.23 ng/mL and 89.41 ± 9.53 ng/mL) than those of non-CAD and CAD without MCI (127.64 ± 14.06 ng/mL and 98.15 ± 10.92 ng/mL, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that lower PGRN levels (odds ratio [OR] = 0.937, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.897-0.979; p = 0.004) and elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (OR = 9.525, 95% CI = 1.485-61.098; p = 0.017), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (OR = 1.257, 95% CI = 1.107-1.427; p < 0.001), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (OR = 1.153, 95% CI = 1.036-1.284; p = 0.009) were independent risk factors for MCI. Conversely, higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were protective (OR 0.809, 95% CI = 0.734-0.892; p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified a PGRN cutoff of 93.52 ng/mL as predictive of MCI risk in patients with CAD.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that reduced serum PGRN levels are associated with cognitive impairment in CAD, highlighting their potential role as biomarkers.