Ricerc@Sapienza

Abstract Background and Aim: Chitotriosidase (Chit), a mammalian chitinases secreted by monocytes and epithelial cells, is increased in both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Arterial stiness rises early in T2D and increases the risk of CVD. Aim of the study was to evaluate Chit activity as a precocious biomarker of arterial stiness in T2D patients without overt vascular complications. Methods: Arterial stiness was measured by Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) in 174 T2D patients (mean±SD age=55±4 years, 103 men) without established diabetic complications. For this cross-sectional study, we measured Chit activity by electrochemiluminescent assay in the sera from the 41 patients with the lowest (L_CAVI) and the 42 patients with the highest (H_CAVI) CAVI values. Results: Compared with L_CAVI, H_CAVI patients were older (57±4years vs. 52±4years, p<0.01), had longer T2D duration (6±3years vs. 4±3years, p=0.02), higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (90±9 vs. 86±9mmHg, p=0.03), HbA1c (6,5±0,9% vs. 6,01±0,6%, p<0.01) and fasting blood glucose (130±29 vs. 117±27 mg/dL, p=0,024) values, lower BMI (28,5±4,2 vs. 32,3±7,2 kg/m , p=0.01) and glomerular ltration rate (91,3±11,2 vs. 96,1±10,0mL/min/1.73m , p=0.04). Chit activity was similar in L_CAVI and H_CAVI groups (11,6±5,6 vs. 14,0±8,3 nmol/mL/h respectively). Although, Chit was inversely related to DBP (r=-0.22; p <0.041) and HbA1c (r=-0.21; p=0.048) and directly related to albuminuria (r=0.22; p=0.04). No signicant dierences were found in systolic blood pressure, gender, lipid prole, calcium, urate, inammatory markers between the two groups. Conclusion: Arterial stiness raises with age, metabolic control, DBP and impaired kidney function. Chit is also associated with DBP, metabolic control and kidney damage but did not result as a direct marker of arterial stiness in T2D patients without established complications.