A study, led by investigators at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute and published in Nature Communications demonstrates that individuals with high levels of GlycA (glycoprotein acetylation) and/or CRP (C-reactive protein) are more likely to have heart diseases. The two molecules might serve as markers to predict the risk of adverse heart events. The proteins GlycA and CRP have been found to be involved inflammation. Previous studies have suggested that GlycA could predict risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. For healthy people, increased GlycA levels seem to be associated increased production of myriad inflammatory cytokines. According to infection-related hospitalization and death data, increased GlycA seem to elevate the risk of severe non-localized and respiratory infections. CRP is produced by the liver and found in the blood. CRP is an early indicator of an infection or inflammation and its levels can rise quickly. A CRP test that measures the amount of the protein in the blood has already been used to measure general levels of inflammation. In the current study, the investigators used nuclear magnetic resonance technology to analyze plasma samples and found that GlycA could be a new marker of inflammation. But GlycA didn't predict coronary artery disease nearly as well. CRP is known to predict adverse heart events and coronary artery disease. The investigators set out to study if GlycA and CRP are independent of each other, or if GLycA just offers another way to measure the effects of CRP. By comparing the value of the two in predicting heart attacks, strokes, and death, they found that GlycA and CRP independently predicted future risk. Individuals with high levels of either GlycA or CRP or both were at increased risk of having. In addition, people who had increased both GlycA and CRP appeared to have the highest risk. The data indicated that GlycA is a new marker of inflammation. Cusabio offers proteins like GlycA, CRP and Recombinant DSC2.
