Blood level of osteonectin in stenosing atherosclerosis and calcinosis of coronary arteries.

Blood levels of stem cell marker proteins CD34 and osteonectin were studied in male patients with coronary atherosclerosis by direct biomagnetic separation of proteins with magnetic microspheres using the PureProteome Protein A and Protein G Magnetic Beads proteomic technology. High concentration of osteonectin in the blood was detected, particularly in men with stenosing atherosclerosis and coronary artery calcinosis. Blood osteonectin concentration correlated significantly with some key biomarkers of atherosclerosis and with stenosing atherosclerosis and calcinosis of coronary arteries. The results indicate that osteonectin as a marker of stromal stem cells with osteogenic potential presumably plays an important role in atherogenesis and can serve as a new biomarker of stenosing atherosclerosis and calcinosis of coronary arteries.