title: Arterial stiffness and novel biomarkers in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pulse wave velocity (PWV) constitutes a valid index of arterial stiffness osteoprotegerin (OPG) and osteopontin (OPN) which are well-established vascular calcification inhibitors, highly correlated with inflammation, and cardiovascular events incidence. We investigated the association of PWV with the aforementioned novel biomarkers in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 108 men with AAA (AAA group) candidates for endovascular repair. We excluded patients with Marfan syndrome or other collagen-related disorders. Forty-one age-matched men, with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), but without AAA, served as controls (CO group). PWV, clinical parameters and serum levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteopontin (OPN), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the exception of higher smoking rate and the lower statin's usage in the AAA group, there were non-significant differences in the rest of demographic and clinical parameters (p>0.05). We found significantly higher levels of PWV in AAA than CO group (12.99±3.75 m/s vs 10.03±1.57 m/s, p<0.001). In parallel, serum OPG, OPN, IL-6 levels were considerably increased, while IL-10 levels were downregulated (p<0.001) in AAA group. PWV positively correlated with mean blood pressure, OPG concentrations and AAA diameter in univariate and multivariate analysis (R(2)=0.498, p=0.008). Finally, age and OPG remained independent determinants of AAA presence in the whole study cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arterial stiffness, circulating vascular calcification inhibitors and inflammatory mediators seem to be significantly upregulated in patients with AAA. An independent association of PWV with mean blood pressure, OPG and AAA diameter is of clinical importance which requires further investigation.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece. nikoskad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Nikolaos P E
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Kadoglou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papadakis
authors.forename: Konstantinos G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Moulakakis
authors.forename: Ignatios
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ikonomidis
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alepaki
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moustardas
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lampropoulos
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karakitsos
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lekakis
authors.forename: Christos D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Liapis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis / Q000379:methods; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C508609:IL10 protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; C506895:SPP1 protein, human; C506030:TNFRSF11B protein, human; D053495:Osteopontin; D016753:Interleukin-10