title: Clinical utility of biomarkers in premature atherosclerosis.
abstract: Atherosclerosis is a very complex procedure responsible for the development of coronary artery disease which is the leading cause of death in the civilized world. The obvious pandemic character of atherosclerosis augments the need to discover an ideal biomarker, which will be able to facilitate the clinical diagnosis of the atherosclerosis from the physicians especially in the early stages of the atherosclerotic process. Among the biomarkers that are already used there are classical ones, such as c-reactive protein, interleukins, tumour necrosis factor, apolipoproteins, fibrinogen, homocysteine, and novel promising ones such as lipoprotein-associated phospholipase, asymmetric dimethylarginine, myeloperoxidase, cathepsins and cystatin C. The possibility of combining circulating biomarkers with other methods such as non-invasive and invasive imaging is clinically attractive because this could contribute to the improved diagnosis and understanding of premature atherosclerosis pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: 1st Cardiology Unit, Hippokration Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. kampoliannamaria@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: A-M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kampoli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tousoulis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papageorgiou
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pallatza
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vogiatzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Briasoulis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Androulakis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toutouzas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stougianos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tentolouris
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers