Associations of long-term cumulative C-reactive protein and glycoprotein acetyls concentrations in childhood, adolescence and adulthood with adulthood retinal microvascular structure
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUNG AND AIMS: Inflammation is associated with cardiovascular disease development and microvascular dysfunction. The aim of the present study is to test the hypothesis that long-term exposure to chronic inflammation in childhood and adulthood is associated with adverse retinal microvascular structure in young and mid-adulthood. METHODS: We analyzed data derived from the Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP) and longitudinal Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS). In STRIP, fundus photos were taken in young adulthood (aged 26 years), and in YFS in mid-adulthood (aged 34-49 years). Retinal microvascular measures were derived in both cohorts (arteriolar and venular diameters and tortuosity; additionally, fractal dimensions in STRIP). Cumulative exposure as the area under the curve for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA), and other conventional cardiovascular risk factors was determined over a 15- and 17-year period in STRIP, and a 10-year period in YFS. Overall, retinal microvascular and cumulative hsCRP and/or GlycA were available for 344 STRIP and 1211 YFS participants, thus forming the cohort of the present study. RESULTS: In both cohorts, cumulative hsCRP was associated with wider venules when adjusted for sex (and age in YFS), and further for related cardiovascular risk factors. In young adulthood (STRIP), higher exposure to cumulative hsCRP was associated with decreased venular tortuosity, whereas in mid-adulthood (YFS), the association was inverse. Cumulative hsCRP was not associated with arteriolar measures whereas cumulative GlycA showed no significant association with any retinal microvascular measures. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term cumulative hsCRP exposure was associated with wider venules in young and mid-adulthood, whereas the associations with venular tortuosity were inconsistent. Wider retinal venules might act as a marker for cumulative inflammatory burden.
Source: Atherosclerosis
Institutions: University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Eastern Finland, University of Oulu, Tampere University, University of Tampere, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Tampere University Hospital, Fimlab (Finland), Kuopio University Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Coventry University
Language: English
Topic: Retinal Imaging and Analysis
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,020
Funders: Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö, Yrjö Jahnssonin Säätiö, European Commission, Kela, Academy of Finland, Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, Opetus- ja Kulttuuriministeriö, Jane ja Aatos Erkon Säätiö, Juho Vainion Säätiö, Signe ja Ane Gyllenbergin Säätiö, Emil Aaltosen Säätiö, Sydäntutkimussäätiö, Sigrid Juséliuksen Säätiö, Tampereen Tuberkuloosisäätiö, Diabetesliitto, Paavo Nurmen Säätiö, Tays, Syöpäsäätiö, Turun Yliopistollinen Keskussairaala, Diabetestutkimussäätiö, Suomen kliinisen kemian yhdistys, Turun Yliopistosäätiö, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, European Research Council
Awards: New open access platform of quantitative high-throughput urine metabolomics to uncover molecular risk factors and drug effects on cardiometabolic diseases, G1037428335, G1255523522, G1432259313, G1601895641, G1686171937, G1704830626, G1763104746, G1872575776, G1891033315, G2026946236, G2230772921, G2330237237, G2465594826, G247187792, G2494043895, G2513778610, G2641752829, G2661470712, A multidisciplinary approach for the stratification of patients with carotid artery disease, A high-dimensional approach for unwinding immune-metabolic causes of cardiovascular disease-depression multimorbidities, G3111916513, G3213590351, G33539551, G3582688621, G3858258543, G4351223834, G4530067370, G4655867613, G4960405155, G4965406020, G4983667704, G5090981026, G5208171454, G523551622, G5474452856, G5489727732, G5512925732, G5646563246, G5770909501, G6164432047, G6310393984, G6654874900, G692875121, G69797456, Lifelong and transgenerational epigenetic profiles in relation to the development of cardiometabolic diseases, G7540798381, G7543594872, Primordial prevention and early development of cardiometabolic diseases – The longitudinal infancy-onset STRIP study, G9488050
OpenAlex ID: W4416442619