Recent advances in proteomic analysis to study carotid artery plaques

Area of Science:

• Proteomics
• Cardiovascular Research
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Carotid atherosclerotic disease significantly elevates the risk of ischemic neurological events.
• Understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of atherosclerosis is crucial for risk assessment.
• Proteomics offers a powerful tool to identify disease-specific protein expression patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify differentially expressed proteins in serum, plasma, and plaque samples from patients with carotid atherosclerotic lesions.
• To systematically review the proteomic profiles associated with carotid artery disease.
• To explore potential protein biomarkers for risk stratification in carotid atherosclerosis.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of peer-reviewed proteomic studies on adult humans with carotid artery disease.
• Inclusion of studies reporting protein expression in serum, plasma, or plaque samples.
• Quality assessment of included studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and adherence to PRISMA guidelines.

Main Results:

• Six studies were included, analyzing protein expression in various sample types.
• Thirty-six proteins showed differential expression between healthy and diseased carotid vessels, and between symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions.
• Upregulated proteins CD5L (anti-inflammatory) and S100A12 (pro-oxidant) were linked to unstable plaque, while downregulated ACTB (structural) was associated with ruptured plaques.

Conclusions:

• Proteomics can identify differential protein expression in blood and plaque samples of carotid atherosclerosis patients.
• Identified proteins are involved in inflammatory and structural pathways relevant to atherogenesis.
• This approach may facilitate the timely identification of individuals at higher risk for stroke.