Objective: Earlobe crease (ELC) has been considered as a skin sign of atherosclerosis, and its pathophysiological mechanism is still unclear. Our study aims to test the hypothesis that ELC patients with lower serum levels of the age-suppressing hormone Klotho, which is not only associated with premature aging but also with endothelial dysfunction, may be associated with atherosclerosis.
Methods: A total of 135 patients aged 40– 68 years underwent coronary angiography. According to the presence or absence of coronary heart disease (CAD) and ELC, they were divided into three groups: CAD group and ELC group (ELC group, n = 45); no ELC group (non-ELC group, n = 45). There was no ELC or CAD in the control group (control group, n = 45). Serum Klotho concentration was obtained by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: The Klotho level in the ELC group was 365.6 ± 38.1 pg/mL, while the Klotho level in the non-ELC group was 568.8 ± 44.9 pg/mL. It is worth noting that the Klotho level of the ELC group was significantly lower than that of the non-ELC group (P < 0.001). The serum Klotho level of the control group was higher than that of the non-ELC group (593.3± 45.3 vs 568.8± 44.9 pg/mL, P = 0.702), but the difference was not statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the Klotho level is a parameter that affects the appearance of ELC.
Conclusion: Serum Klotho levels were considerably lower in patients with ELC. We concluded that the perturbations of Klotho in patients might be associated with ELC and with CAD.
Keywords: earlobe crease, Klotho, atherosclerosis, premature aging