Exosomal myeloperoxidase as a biomarker of deep venous thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) often occurs following major orthopedic surgery. In this study, we investigated specific exosomal proteins as potential diagnostic biomarkers of DVT.

Proteomic analysis of exosomes from four DVT patients and healthy controls (n=4) was performed by mass spectrometry. The model animals were evaluated at 1 inferior vena cava ligation [(IVCL)-1D], 3 (IVCL-3D), and 7 (IVCL-7D) days after IVCL. Endothelial cells in the thrombus segment were examined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) expression in the damaged vessel was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Exosomes were co-cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and cell proliferation was estimated using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays.

A total of 78 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs; 38 downregulated and 40 upregulated) were identified in the DVT group. In the rat DVT model, endothelial cells were damaged continuously after thrombosis, with the most serious injury in the IVCL-3D group, after which signs of endothelial repair were apparent. The IVCL-1D group showed the highest levels of vascular endothelial cell apoptosis and MPO increased sharply in the IVCL-1D and IVCL-3D groups, but had almost disappeared in the IVCL-7D group. In co-culture, plasma exosomes isolated from DVT model rats were efficiently absorbed by HUVECs, with markedly lower HUVECs growth and higher levels of apoptosis in the IVCL-1D and IVCL-3D groups compared with the control group.

Our findings suggest that exosomes may be involved in endothelial cell injury during DVT. The exosomal protein MPO is a potential biomarker of early stage DVT.