title: Increased plasma levels of NGAL, a marker of neutrophil activation, in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) plasma concentrations have been associated with cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to assess the association of NGAL with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
  
  
  METHODS
  NGAL concentrations were analyzed by Western blotting in conditioned medium of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) from AAA patients (n=22) and controls (n=11), and also in aortic biopsies from AAA patients and healthy controls (n=10). Plasma NGAL concentrations were measured by ELISA in three groups of subjects from France (n=60), Spain (n=75) and Australia (n=100) and associated with AAA presence and growth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PMNs isolated from AAA patients secreted significantly greater amounts of NGAL than PMNs from controls. Luminal thrombus released large amounts of NGAL compared to abluminal AAA thrombus, AAA wall and healthy aortic media. Plasma NGAL concentrations were significantly higher in patients with AAA than controls from France [115 (78-200) vs. 94 (72-114) ng/ml, p<0.001]. NGAL plasma concentrations in AAA patients from Spain correlated with other markers of thrombus activity (plasmin-antiplasmin complexes and D-dimer). Furthermore, a positive correlation between plasma NGAL and retrospective AAA growth (rho=0.4, p=0.01) was observed, which remained significant after adjusting for other risk factors. Plasma NGAL was only weakly associated with prospective growth in both Spanish and Australian patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NGAL is released by PMNs and by the luminal part of AAA thrombus. NGAL plasma levels were increased in AAA patients compared with healthy subjects and correlated with retrospective AAA growth. Further studies in larger subjects groups are needed to confirm the association between NGAL and AAA presence and growth.
authors.affiliation: Vascular Research Lab, IIS, Fundación Jimenez Diaz, Autonoma University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Priscila
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramos-Mozo
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Madrigal-Matute
authors.forename: Melina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vega de Ceniga
authors.forename: Luis Miguel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Blanco-Colio
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Meilhac
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clancy
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Golledge
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Egido
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martin-Ventura
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001315:Australia; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018375:Neutrophil Activation; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins