Soluble adhesion molecule E-selectin predicts cardiovascular events in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Soluble adhesion molecule E-selectin (sE-selectin) is a marker of endothelial activation. To investigate whether high serum concentrations of sE-selectin could predict cardiovascular events, we followed 392 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had no history of cardiovascular disease for a mean period of 6 years. The cardiovascular end points were defined as fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke, and sudden death. During the follow-up period, 51 patients reached end point. Patients who reached end point were significantly older and had longer duration of diabetes, higher systolic blood pressure, higher hemoglobin A1c, higher plasma glucose, higher sE-selectin, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with those free of such events. The mean serum concentration of sE-selectin was higher in patients who reached end point (81.1 ± 32.2 ng/mL) than event-free patients (66.7 ± 33.7 ng/mL, mean ± SD; P < .01). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified age, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, sE-selectin, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as independent factors related to cardiovascular events. The odds ratio for cardiovascular events for 1-SD increase in sE-selectin concentration was 1.45 (95% confidence interval, 1.22-1.71). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a significantly higher cardiovascular event rate in the highest tertile of sE-selectin compared with the lowest or middle tertile of sE-selectin (P < .01). The results suggest that high serum concentrations of sE-selectin can predict cardiovascular events in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.