title: Increased DAPK1 but decreased CCL2 plasma levels of nucleic acids in patients with stable angina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We hypothesized that patients with stable angina have increased plasma levels of mRNA from genes responsible for atherosclerotic plaque development and destabilisation, i.e. from death-associated protein kinase (DAPK1) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (CCL2).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nucleic acids were isolated from plasma of patients with stabile angina and healthy subjects as controls. mRNAs were transcribed to cDNAs, quantified by real-time PCR and standardized to the amount of a reference gene. Reagents for PCR quantification are declared to be mRNA specific, but in our test conditions DNA was found to interfere in both assays. RESULTSs: Patients had 5.1-times higher plasma level of DAPK1 nucleic acids (mRNA and DNA) than controls (P < 0.001) and the highest levels were associated with the presence of diabetes. However, plasma levels of CCL2 tended to be lower than in controls, and in statin-treated patients the decrement reached significance (-66.3%; P = 0.041).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The estimated levels are explicable in terms of current knowledge. Further studies with specific assays for mRNA PCR quantification are reasonable to access whether this approach offers non-invasive in vive assessment and monitoring of gene expression profile in atherosclerotic vascular beds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. darko.cerne@ffa.uni-lj.si
authors.forename: Darko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cerne
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kranjec
authors.forename: Andreja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerne
authors.forename: Darko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zorman
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krzisnik-Zorman
authors.forename: Janja
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060050:Angina, Stable / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C111835:CCL2 protein, human; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C579096:DAPK1 protein, human; D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases