Soluble ST2 is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A case-control study

Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is a free form of membrane-bound ST2, which is a member of the interleukin-1 receptor family. Previous research has shown that sST2 is associated with diabetes, but cardiovascular risk factors have not been established. To analyze the relationship between sST2 and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). After screening, a total of 118 subjects with T2DM were divided into 2 groups according to the measurement of CIMT (normal CIMT (NCIMT), n = 58; abnormal CIMT (ACIMT), n = 60), and 60 healthy subjects (normal control (NC), n = 60) were recruited in this study. CIMT was measured by a color Doppler ultrasound, and sST2 and other metabolic parameters were measured as well. The median concentration of sST2 was elevated in the ACIMT group (31.30 ng/ml) compared with the NCIMT group (28.29 ng/ml, P < .01) and the NC group (20.15 ng/ml, P < .01). After adjustment for age and sex, log sST2 was strongly associated with smoking history (β = 0.197, 95% CI, 0.084–0.311, P < .01), FPG level (β = 0.302, 95% CI, 0.162–0.442, P < .01) and HbA1c level (β = 0.296, 95% CI, 0.165–0.426, P < .01) and negatively correlated with HDL level (β = −0.153, 95% CI, −0.259 to −0.046, P < .01). Furthermore, sST2 level was a risk factor for increased CIMT in patients with T2DM. Increased sST2 level not only was associated with indicators of glucose and lipid metabolism but also was a risk factor for increased CIMT in patients with T2DM. Thus, sST2 may be a potential novel marker to assess the progression of diabetic macrovascular complications.