Osteopontin and chronic coronary syndrome

Osteopontin, a non-collagenous matricellular protein, is mainly found in bone matrix. Elevated levels of this protein have been associated with acute coronary syndrome and heart failure. Yet, there is little data on the links between osteopontin and chronic coronary syndrome. The participants involved in the study were followed up for a minimum of 72 months. It was found that osteopontin may be an important biomarker for predicting cardiovascular outcomes, such as heart failure or cardiovascular mortality. Specifically, osteopontin levels were significantly increased after myocardial infarction, leading to the thought that this may be a prognostic predictor for patients. Furthermore, it is thought that osteopontin plays a role in atherosclerosis development; however, it is not known exactly how.

This review by Cheong K et al. aimed to understand the correlation between osteopontin and the prognosis of patients with chronic coronary syndrome and other cardiovascular events.

Key learnings

Osteopontin may be a useful biomarker for understanding the prognosis of cardiovascular events in chronic coronary syndrome patients. However, to fully understand the clinical significance of osteopontin levels, a larger study is needed, as well as research into the role of osteopontin in atherosclerosis.