Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41024518›Full record

ArticleClinical and translational science2025

Association Between HNP1-3 and Atherosclerotic Plaque Burden in Subclinical Atherosclerosis and the Mediating Effect of PCSK9.

Ece Yurtseven, Kemal Baysal, Said İncir, Ata Alpay Canbaz, Mert Veznikli, Arzu Baygul, Gamze Aslan, Yasemin Demirci, Erol Gursoy, Kayhan Çetin Atasoy and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical and translational science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Ece YurtsevenDepartment of Cardiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0003-4564-4718
Kemal BaysalKoc University Research Center for Translational Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0001-8969-590X
Said İncirDepartment of Biochemistry, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-7700-7388
Ata Alpay CanbazKoc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0001-8782-7518
Mert VeznikliDepartment of Biostatistics, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0003-0713-1313
Arzu BaygulDepartment of Biostatistics, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0003-0392-6709
Gamze AslanDepartment of Cardiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0003-4000-3292
Yasemin DemirciDepartment of Cardiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-2762-7490
Erol GursoyDepartment of Cardiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-9661-7878
Kayhan Çetin AtasoyDepartment of Radiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-2365-5224
Dilek UralDepartment of Cardiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0003-0224-1433

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Subclinical atherosclerosis is a key predictor of cardiovascular events. While inflammation plays a crucial role in atherosclerosis, the involvement of Human Neutrophil Peptides 1-3 (HNP1-3) in its progression remains unclear. The study investigates the association of HNP1-3 and PCSK9 with coronary atherosclerotic burden and explores the potential mediatory role of PCSK9 in HNP1-3's effect on atherogenesis. Patients who underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and had subclinical atherosclerosis (luminal stenosis < 50%) or normal coronary arteries were included in this cross-sectional study. HNP1-3 and PCSK9 levels were measured using ELISA, and coronary plaque burden was quantified using the modified Gensini score. Patients with subclinical atherosclerosis had significantly higher levels of HNP1-3 (p < 0.001), PCSK9 (p < 0.001), and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] (p < 0.001) compared to controls. HNP1-3 was an independent predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis (p < 0.001), and its levels positively correlated with the modified Gensini score (p < 0.001). In multinomial logistic regression, higher levels of HNP1-3, PCSK9, and Lp(a) were independently associated with higher modified Gensini score tertiles. Mediation analysis revealed that PCSK9 mediated 48.7% of the effect of HNP1-3 on the modified Gensini score. After adjusting for hsCRP and cardiovascular risk factors, the direct effect of HNP1-3 became statistically insignificant, while the indirect effect via PCSK9 remained significant, suggesting that PCSK9 fully mediates the pro-atherogenic effects of HNP1-3. In conclusion, HNP1-3 is a novel independent predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis and coronary plaque burden, with its effects being mediated through PCSK9. These findings suggest that targeting PCSK9 could mitigate the inflammatory actions of HNP1-3, offering potential therapeutic insights for atherosclerosis prevention.

Indexed as

alpha-DefensinsAtherosclerosisCoronary Artery DiseasePlaque, AtheroscleroticProprotein Convertase 9AgedBiomarkersComputed Tomography AngiographyCoronary AngiographyCoronary VesselsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLipoprotein(a)MaleMiddle Agedalpha-DefensinsBiomarkershuman neutrophil peptide 1human neutrophil peptide 3Lipoprotein(a)PCSK9 protein, humanProprotein Convertase 9atherosclerotic plaque burdenHNP1‐3PCSK9subclinical atherosclerosis

Identifiers

PMID41024518
PMCPMC12480437

What OpenQuestion holds

Texttitle and abstract
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.