Association between plasma fibroblast growth factor 23 and left ventricular mass index in patients with Takayasu arteritis

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF23) is an endocrine hormone that can be induced by inflammation and plays a role in the pathogenesis of cardiac abnormalities. Few studies have reported plasma FGF23 levels in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK). We hypothesized that the production of FGF23 in TAK is associated with abnormal cardiac mass.

Forty-seven patients diagnosed with TAK and 52 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included in this observational study. Plasma FGF23 was detected by human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between FGF23 and left ventricular mass index (LVMI).

Patients with TAK had higher plasma FGF23 than healthy controls [121.8 (84.5–168.8) vs. 86.7 (70.5–101.1) RU/ml, P < 0.001]. Patients with higher FGF23 concentrations were more likely to be females (100.0% vs. 75.0%, P = 0.01), angiographic type V (69.6% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.013), heart failure (43.5% vs. 12.5%, P = 0.018), and have higher LVMI [126.3 (81.1–177.7) vs. 85.9 (69.7–114.3) g/m², P = 0.041]. Plasma FGF23 was significantly associated with LVMI in TAK patients [β = 0.402, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.032–0.301, P = 0.016], after adjusting for age, gender, disease duration, angiographic type (angiographic type V vs. non-angiographic type V), the presence of cardiovascular events and hypertension, and serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in the multivariate linear regression. Age (β = − 0.399, P = 0.016) and the presence of angiographic type V (β = 0.376, P = 0.018) were identified to be significant determinants of plasma FGF23 in patients with TAK.

Plasma FGF23 was elevated in patients with TAK and was associated with LVMI. FGF23 may participate in the development of abnormal cardiac mass in patients with TAK.