The relationship between serum DKK3 and FGF2 with platelet activation and prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease

AIM  To investigate the relationship between serum Dickkopf related protein 3 (DKK3) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) with platelet activation and prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), and to analyze their predictive power for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

METHODS  From October 2023 to March 2024, 180 CHD patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in our hospital were recruited as the CHD group. In the meantime, 120 volunteers who underwent health examinations at our hospital were recruited as control group. ELISA was used to detect serum DKK3 and FGF2. Pearson correlation was applied to explore the relationship between serum DKK3, FGF2 with platelet activation indicators in CHD patients. Logistic regression was performed to explore the influencing factors of MACE in CHD patients. ROC curve was adopted to evaluate the predictive efficacy of serum DKK3 and FGF2 for MACE in CHD patients.

RESULTS  The levels of α - granule membrane glycoprotein (CD62p), lysosomal membrane glycoprotein (CD63), and serum FGF2 in CHD patients were significantly higher than those in the control group, while the level of serum DKK3 was significantly lower than that in the control group (all P<0.01); Compared with the heart function level II group, the levels of CD62p, CD63, and serum FGF2 in the heart function level III group were significantly increased, while the level of serum DKK3 was significantly decreased (all P<0.01). Serum DKK3 was negatively correlated with CD62p and CD63 in CHD patients (both P<0.01), while serum FGF2 was positively correlated with CD62p and CD63 (both P<0.01). The levels of CD62p, CD63, and serum FGF2 in the MACE group were significantly higher than those in the non MACE group, while the level of serum DKK3 was significantly lower than that in the non MACE group (all P<0.01). CD62p, CD63, as well as serum DKK3 and FGF2, are factors that affect the occurrence of MACE in CHD patients (all P<0.05). The AUC of predicting MACE in CHD patients by combining serum DKK3 and FGF2 was 0.925, and the predictive power of the combined detection was better (Z combined - DKK3=2.486, Z combined - FGF2=2.086, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION  Serum DKK3 decreases while FGF2 increases in CHD patients. The two are closely related to platelet activation and prognosis, and their union has high value in predicting MACE.