ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SERUM OSTEOPROTEGERIN LEVEL AND THE SEVERITY OF CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION IN NON DIABETICS CENTRAL OBESE MEN Trilis Yulianti 1,2 ,Antonia Anna Lukito 3 , Andi Wijaya 1,2 , Gatot S. Lawrence 3 and Syakib Bakri 3 1 Prodia Clinical Laboratory 2 Post Graduate Program, in Biomedical Science Hasanuddin University 3 Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University Coresponding author : trilisyulianty@yahoo.com BACKGROUND: Central or abdominal obesity is an important indicator of cardiovascular risk. A recent clinical study suggests that there is a significant correlation between elevated serum osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels and cardiovascular mortality. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is positively associated cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Osteoprotegerin has been identified as a regulator of bone resorption. Recently, it has been demonstrated that OPG is produced by a variety of tissues, including the cardiovascular system. We examined whether serum OPG levels are associated with the severity of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in non diabetics central obese man. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study on 70 central obese men defined by waist circumference ≥ 90 cm, diabetic person were excluded. Serum OPG levels were examined in 70 patients who underwent coronary artery calcification scoring. CAC score was determined by using dual source computed tomography (DSCT). The number of CAC score was used to represent the severity of CAC. Serum OPG levels were measured by ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS for windows ver 16. ANOVA were performed to analyze mean, maximum, minimum value and SD. Spearman correlation statistic were performed to determine the correlation between OPG serum level and CAC score. Significance value were define as alpha level= 0.05 based on two-tailed tests. Abstract RESULTS: Serum OPG levels were significantly greater in patients with higher CAC score. As the severity of CAC increased, there was a significant correlation between OPG and CAC score (r= 0.226; p< 0.05) increase in serum OPG levels. Mean levels serum OPG were 3.6 pmol/L, 3.8 pmol/L, 4 pmol/L and 4.6 pmol/L for the subjects with CAC score < 10 AU, 10-100 AU, 101-400 AU and > 400 AU, respectively. Bivariate correlation analysis also revealed that serum increased OPG levels were positive correlated with age (r= 0.294; p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our data show that serum OPG levels are associated with the severity of CAC in non diabetic obese men , highlight that OPG may be involved in the progression of CAC KEYWORDS: obesity, vascular calcification, OPG Corresponding Author: trilisyulianty@yahoo.com