title: Unravelling the familial tendency to aneurysmal disease: popliteal aneurysm, hypertension and fibrillin genotype.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To screen patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm for popliteal aneurysm and investigate cardiovascular and genetic risk factors associated with aneurysmal disease at more than one site (generalised aneurysmal disease). SUBJECTS, DESIGN AND SETTING: All patients referred to the Regional Vascular Surgical Service at Charing Cross Hospital with unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm between 1989 and 1993 were screened for popliteal aneurysms, using ultrasonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Palpation of a popliteal aneurysm or ultrasonographic detection of popliteal dilatation, where the ratio maximum popliteal fossa diameter/suprageniculate popliteal diameter was > or = 1.5, in relation to cardiovascular and genetic risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical examination detected popliteal aneurysms in only 11/232 patients (5%), but ultrasonography demonstrated the presence of popliteal aneurysm in a further 13 patients, 24/232 in total (10%). Multivariate regression identified four independent factors associated with popliteal dilatation disease: age (p = 0.046), height (p = 0.006), systolic hypertension (p = 0.037) and triglyceride concentration (p = 0.009). Generalised aneurysmal disease and systolic blood pressure were associated with polymorphic variation in the fibrillin-1 gene, but not with variations in the apolipoprotein B and type III collagen genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Few patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (10%) also have popliteal aneurysms: the risk of popliteal dilatation increases with age, height, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride concentration and fibrillin genotype. The strong interaction between fibrillin genotype and blood pressure may contribute to the familial tendency to aortic aneurysm.
authors: Department of Surgery, Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School, London, U.K.
authors: S T
authors: ST
authors: MacSweeney
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Skidmore
authors: R J
authors: RJ
authors: Turner
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Sian
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Brown
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Henney
authors: R M
authors: RM
authors: Greenhalgh
authors: J T
authors: JT
authors: Powell
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000235:genetics; D001827:Body Height; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D000071838:Fibrillin-1; D000071837:Fibrillins; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011150:Popliteal Artery; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D054392:Adipokines
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D003094:Collagen; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D000071838:Fibrillin-1; D000071837:Fibrillins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D014280:Triglycerides; C000605722:FBN1 protein, human; D054392:Adipokines