Serum sialic acid is independently associated with cerebrovascular atherosclerotic stenosis severity and total vascular burden: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis (AS) is still the major cause of cerebrovascular atherosclerotic stenosis (CAS). Sialic acid (SA) has garnered significant attention in atherosclerosis research. Some clinical studies demonstrated the potential of SA as a predictive marker for cardiovascular diseases. However, no clinical studies have yet explored the relationship between SA and CAS.

METHODS

From January 2017 to October 2023, 5806 patients aged over 18 years were retrospectively evaluated. Spearman correlation analysis examined the relationship between serum SA levels and clinical characteristics of CAS patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses assessed the association between SA and stenosis. The Restricted Cubic Spline analysis method was used to reveal the influence of SA on CAS. The Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve was employed to describe the diagnostic efficacy of SA as a potential biomarker for predicting CAS.

RESULTS

Our study identified a positive correlation between SA levels and CAS severity. Additionally, SA levels demonstrated a dose-response relationship with both the degree of stenosis and the number of stenotic vessels. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference in SA levels was observed between patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic CAS. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) model showed an AUC of 0.713 (95% CI: 0.700-0.726) for SA in predicting CAS.

CONCLUSION

Serum SA levels demonstrated a dose-response relationship with both the degree of stenosis and the number of stenotic vessels. These findings suggest that SA may serve as a potential biomarker for identifying CAS.