Erythrocyte aggregation as an early biomarker in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis.
BACKGROUND
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease.


METHODS
We have evaluated the degree of erythrocyte aggregation (EA) as a microinflammatory biomarker in a cohort of hospital-based, neurologically asymptomatic outpatients.


METHODS
The degree of EA and carotid artery stenosis was evaluated in 510 individuals by using a simple slide test and image analysis.


RESULTS
Four hundred and sixteen individuals had minimal carotid stenosis (< 30%); 47 had mild to moderate stenosis (30-69%) and 47 had severe stenosis (> 70%). A significant correlation was noted between the degree of carotid stenosis and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cell count (WBCC) and fibrinogen (r=0.160, p=0.005; r=0.191, p=0.001 and r=0.126, p=0.026, respectively). The significant correlation was noted between the degree of carotid stenosis and EA (r=0.209, p< 0.001). The subjects with severe stenosis differed significantly from the other groups in their ESR, WBCC and EA. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations did not discriminate between the presence and absence of significant carotid atherosclerotic disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Inflammatory biomarkers such as ESR and the EA test are more sensitive than hs-CRP to the presence of a significant atherosclerotic carotid burden. These biomarkers might aid in the detection and quantification of microinflammation in individuals with carotid atherosclerosis.
Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Einor Ben
EB
Assayag
Irena
I
Bova
Anat
A
Kesler
Shlomo
S
Berliner
Itzhak
I
Shapira
Natan M
NM
Bornstein
D000368:Aged; D001167:Arteritis / Q000097:blood; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood*; D004903:Erythrocyte Aggregation; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein