Microalbuminuria and markers of the atherosclerotic process: the DESIR study

The relationship between microalbuminuria and tissue-type plasminogen activ ator antigen (tPA-ag) and fibrinogen was evaluated in non-diabetic subjects . Subjects were participants of the D.E.S.I.R. (Data from an Epidemiologica l Study on the Insulin Resistance syndrome) Study. Analyses were carried ou t on 2248 women and 2402 men for fibrinogen and on 272 women and 284 men fo r tPA-ag. Microalbuminuria was defined as urinary albumin concentration gre ater than 20 mg/l. Men with microalbuminuria had a 6% higher fibrinogen con centration than those without (3.07 g/l (95% confidence interval: 2.99,3.15 ) vs. 2.89 g/l (2.87,2.91), adjusted for age and smoking). This relationshi p existed in hypertensive as well as non-hypertensive subjects. The associa tion between microalbuminuria and tPA-ag existed only in hypertensive men, those with microalbuminuria having a 21% higher tPA-ag than those without ( 4.39 ng/ml (3.70,5.08) vs. 3.63 ng/ml (3.32,3.94), adjusted for age and smo king). Adjustment for other risk markers for cardiovascular disease did not change the results. There was no relationship between microalbuminuria and these haemostatic factors in women. The results of this study suggest that in non-diabetic men, microalbuminuria is associated with fibrinogen, but w ith tPA-ag only when concomitant with hypertension. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scien ce Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.