title: Dramatic changes in the serum levels of anti-cholesterol antibodies after eversion endarterectomy in patients with severe carotid atherosclerosis.
abstract: Our goal was to study changes in anti-cholesterol antibodies (ACHA) levels in patients with severe carotid stenosis after eversion endarterectomy. Seventy consecutive patients who underwent eversion endarterectomy at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, were included in the study. Serum samples from 66 healthy volunteers served as controls. Patients had medical check up at 5.7 (4.6-8.0) weeks (median (interquartile range)), 6.8 (6.2-7.9) months as well as 13.8 (12.3-19.0) months after endarterectomy. In all patients the carotid arteries were investigated by color duplex ultrasound. ACHA concentrations were determined in the serum samples taken before operation as well as at the first and last follow-up visits by using an ELISA method. ACHA concentrations (median (interquartile range) were found to be significantly (p<0.0001) lower in the sera of the patients with carotid atherosclerosis (13.5 (8.4-21.3)AU/ml) than in the healthy subjects (26.1 (20.9-33.2)AU/ml) (Mann-Whitney test). Strong negative correlation was found between the preoperative ACHA and LDL-cholesterol levels (r=-0.413, p=0.0004). Serum ACHA concentrations significantly (p<0.0001) increased from the values measured before operation (13.5 (8.4-21.3)AU/ml) to 27.1 (19.9-34.7)AU/ml measured at the end of the 14 months long follow-up. Increase occurred only in patients with low or medium baseline ACHA concentration. Our present findings indicate that after surgical removal of atherosclerotic plaques from the carotid arteries the reduced baseline levels of ACHA reach normal values in 1 year. Different not mutually exclusive mechanisms (binding of ACHA to lipid/lipoproteins particles, to advanced plaques or reversibly injured endothelial cells in CNS) can be responsible for this novel finding.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Kútvölgyi út 4, H-1125 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Adrienn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bíró
authors.forename: Edit
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dósa
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horváth
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Prohászka
authors.forename: Szabolcs
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rugonfalvi-Kiss
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karádi
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Acsády
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Selmeczi
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Entz
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Füst
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Romics
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000276:immunology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004691:Endarterectomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000906:Antibodies; D002784:Cholesterol