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Relationship between endothelial cell markers and arterial stenosis in peripheral and carotid artery disease
A D Blann1, A Farrell, A Picton
1University Department of Medicine, City Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom. a.blann@bham.ac.uk
Insights
Von Willebrand factor is the most sensitive plasma marker for peripheral atherosclerosis severity. However, tested plasma markers did not effectively indicate the degree of carotid artery stenosis in patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Biomarker Discovery
- Atherosclerosis Pathophysiology
Background:
- Endothelial damage is a key factor in atherosclerosis development.
- Plasma markers like von Willebrand factor (vWF) can indicate endothelial dysfunction.
- Quantifying these markers may correlate with atherosclerosis severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between plasma endothelial markers and objectively measured disease severity.
- To assess the utility of vWF, thrombomodulin, ICAM-1, and E-selectin in peripheral and carotid atherosclerosis.
- To determine if these markers correlate with ankle-brachial pressure index (peripheral) and % stenosis (carotid).
Main Methods:
- ELISA was used to measure plasma levels of vWF, thrombomodulin, ICAM-1, and E-selectin.
- Study included 45 patients with intermittent claudication and 53 with transient ischemic attack.
- Disease severity was assessed using ankle-brachial pressure index and ultrasound % stenosis; patients with coronary atherosclerosis were excluded.
Main Results:
- A significant negative correlation was found between vWF and ankle-brachial pressure index (r = -0.39, p = 0.008).
- No significant correlations were observed between the other tested markers and disease severity in either peripheral or carotid atherosclerosis.
- vWF emerged as the most sensitive marker for peripheral atherosclerosis.
Conclusions:
- Von Willebrand factor is a sensitive plasma marker for assessing the severity of peripheral atherosclerosis.
- The studied plasma markers are not effective indicators of carotid artery stenosis severity.
- Further research may be needed to identify reliable biomarkers for carotid atherosclerosis.
Abstract:
Damage to the endothelium is an important component of atherosclerosis and can be quantified by measuring plasma markers, such as von Willebrand factor, thrombomodulin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin. We hypothesized that increased levels of these markers would be related to objectively defined disease severity among patients with peripheral atherosclerosis or carotid atherosclerosis. To test this, we measured the markers by using ELISA in the plasma of 45 patients with intermittent claudication alone and in 53 patients presenting with transient ischemic attack. Disease severity in the former was by ankle-brachial pressure index and in the latter by ultrasound defined % stenosis. Any symptomatic dual disease or history or present coronary atherosclerosis warranted exclusion. Data were correlated according to Spearman's method. The only significant correlation was between von Willebrand factor and ankle-brachial pressure index (r = -0.39, p = 0.008). Our data suggest that von Willebrand factor is the most sensitive marker of peripheral atherosclerosis and that none of the plasma markers seems to be a useful marker of the degree of carotid artery stenosis.