C-peptide potential proxy marker for diagnosing CVDs in resource-poor settings

This study is published in Health Science Reports entitled Blood C-peptide concentration as a proxy marker of cardiovascular disease: An observational cross-sectional study.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the leading causes of disability and early death in sub-Saharan Africa. Most current blood tests for CVD diagnosis involve performing about three test profiles, often at additional cost to patients. C-peptide, a cleavage product of proinsulin, is a promising marker that has the potential to serve as a proxy marker for diagnosing CVDs in resource-poor settings.

In sub-Saharan Africa, CVDs are a major cause of disability and premature death. Many CVD blood tests require patients to undergo three test profiles, which can result in additional costs. C-peptide, a byproduct of proinsulin, is a promising diagnostic marker that may be useful in resource-poor settings as a proxy for CVD diagnosis.

The observational, cross-sectional study involved 127 individuals with CVD and 127 individuals without CVD. The study collected sociodemographic and clinical characteristics from participants. It analyzed blood levels of C-peptide, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total creatinine kinase (CK), creatine kinase myocardial bound (CKMB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), propeptide of brain natriuretic peptide (PBNP), Troponin T, lipids, and biomarkers of kidney and liver function using ELISA and an automated analyzer. The study also computed insulin resistance using the modified homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR).

The key results of the study are:

• There were higher levels of C-peptide, CK, CKMB, troponin T, PBNP, FPG, HOMA-IR, and several selected kidney, liver, and lipid parameters in the CVD Group compared to the non-CVD Group.
• In the CVD group, Troponin T recorded a positive correlation with C-peptide.
• The sensitivity and specificity of C-peptide in identifying CVD were 96.1% and 91.3%, respectively.

Concluding further, they said in the CVD group, C-peptide levels are higher. This is a valuable biomarker in detecting cardiovascular diseases.

The study demonstrated C-peptide levels to be a good biomarker serving as a cost-effective CVD diagnostic-cum-prognostic tool, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Further reading:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hsr2.1535