title: Plasma adrenomedullin concentration is increased in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease associated with vascular inflammation.
abstract: Adrenomedullin (AM), a potent vasodepressor, is known to have anti-atherosclerotic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, there is no information about its level in severe atherosclerotic diseases, such as peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). The present study investigated the plasma concentration of AM and several inflammatory parameters in 72 patients with and without PAOD. The plasma AM concentration in patients with PAOD was significantly higher than in those without PAOD. Its concentration had significant correlations with ankle-brachial index and Fontaine's stage. The plasma AM level also correlated with high sensitive C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. As an additional study, plasma levels of two forms of AM drawn from the femoral artery and saphenous vein were measured in 27 other subjects. Both mature and intermediate forms of plasma AM in the femoral artery and saphenous vein were higher in patients with PAOD than in those without PAOD. A significant step-up of the mature form of AM from the femoral artery to the saphenous vein was observed. Our findings indicate that the plasma AM concentration was elevated in patients with PAOD in proportion to the severity of the disease and associated with vascular inflammation. An increased production of AM in PAOD may play a protective role against advanced atherosclerosis with an inflammatory signature.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hypertension and Nephrology, Department of Medicine, National Cardiovascular Center, 5-7-1, Fujishirodai, Suita, Osaka 565-8565, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horio
authors.forename: Tokio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nonogi
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Tanenao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kangawa
authors.forename: Yuhei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawano
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin; D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000502:physiology; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D010455:Peptides; D053607:Adrenomedullin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein