Abstract
BACKGROUND: Vascular growth factors are upregulated in stroke patients, but it remains unknown if they correlate with carotid atherosclerosis.
METHODS AND RESULTS: A case-control study was conducted to determine: (1) possible association between biomarkers of angiogenesis or inflammation and carotid stenosis; and (2) the impact of revascularization on the same biomarkers. Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast GF (bFGF), tissue kallikrein (tK), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured in 89 patients with carotid obstruction and 45 age-matched controls. Patients were stratified as <50% carotid stenosis (CAS; n=16); 50% to 69% CAS (n=12); 70% to 99% CAS (n=43); and carotid occlusion (CAO; n=18). No association was found between VEGF, bFGF, or hs-CRP and obstruction grading. TK augmented from 360+/-30 in <50% CAS (P=NS versus controls) to 509+/-72 in moderate CAS (P<0.05), 1159+/-178 in high-grade CAS (P<0.02), and 1616+/-403 pg/mL in CAO (P<0.01). A threshold of 508 pg/mL provided the maximized predictive value of high-grade obstruction. After revascularization, tK decreased from 1410+/-352 to 782+/-86 pg/mL (P<0.01), whereas no change was detected in nonoperated cases. Hs-CRP was unaffected by revascularization.
CONCLUSIONS: Angiogenic factors are heterogeneously expressed in patients with carotid atherosclerosis. The tK measurement may be useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of atherosclerotic disease.
Translated title of the contribution | Circulating tissue kallikrein levels correlate with severity of carotid atherosclerosis |
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Original language | English |
Pages (from-to) | 1104 - 1110 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2004 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & WilkinsKeywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Arteriosclerosis
- Biological Markers
- C-Reactive Protein
- Carotid Stenosis
- Case-Control Studies
- Endarterectomy, Carotid
- Female
- Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
- Follow-Up Studies
- Humans
- Inflammation
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Neovascularization, Pathologic
- Predictive Value of Tests
- Severity of Illness Index
- Tissue Kallikreins
- Treatment Outcome
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A