H-FABP, cardiovascular risk factors, and functional status in asymptomatic spinal cord injury patients.

BACKGROUND

This was a cross-sectional study in the setting of a rehabilitation hospital.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to determine the serum levels of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). A further goal was to examine whether there is a relationship between H-FABP levels and Functional Ambulation Classification (FAC) scale, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) status, and metabolic syndrome (MetS).

METHODS

The study included 56 SCI patients and 37 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects who had not been diagnosed with coronary artery disease in the past.

RESULTS

Serum H-FABP levels were significantly higher in patients with SCI than in control subjects: paraplegia group, 18.5  ±  11.4; tetraplegia group, 16.3  ±  9.1; control group, 6.7 ± 5.1 ng/ml (p < 0.001). There was no difference between the other cardiac enzymes (troponin I, AST, ALT, CK, CK-MB, and LDH) among the groups. The relationship between the serum H-FABP levels and FAC status was examined. There was a negative correlation between FAC status and H-FABP levels (p < 0.001, r = - 0.581). Patients with complete SCI were divided into two groups according to the level of the lesion: (lesion levels in C6-T6, n = 25; lesion levels in T7-L2, n = 11). In patients with complete motor injury, H-FABP levels were higher in subjects with injuries above T6 than in those with injuries below T6 (24.21 ± 10.1 and 14.1 ± 10.4, respectively; p = 0.011). Serum levels of H-FABP were higher in SCI patients with MetS (n = 10) than in those without MetS (n = 46; 25.8  ±  11.6 ng/ml vs. 16.42 ± 10.3 ng/ml, respectively; p = 0.014). Patients were then divided into two groups according to SCI duration: <  12 months (n = 27) and > 12 months (n = 29). H-FABP levels showed statistically significant differences between the two groups (14.8 ± 11.7 ng/dl and 20.9  ±  9.9 ng/dl, respectively; p = 0.036).

CONCLUSION

H-FABP is related to MetS and FAC status in asymptomatic SCI patients.