title: Abnormal levels of serum anti-elastin antibodies in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A correlation between the levels of antibodies to alpha-elastin (alpha-AEAb) and tropoelastin (tropo-AEAb) and the corresponding peptide concentration is found in human serum in health and disease. Serum elastin peptide and anti-elastin antibodies (AEAb) levels are age-related and vary with the stages of atherosclerotic vascular damage. This study aims to determine if elastin metabolism (assessed by the ratio of tropo-AEAb to alpha-AEAb) differs in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis versus subjects with asymptomatic stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Alpha-AEAb and tropo-AEAb were measured by ELISA in blood sera of 65 patients with ultrasound verified high-grade symptomatic carotid stenosis (resulting in stroke 1-7 days before measurement) compared to 51 patients with asymptomatic stenosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum anti-alpha-elastin IgG levels are extremely increased in symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid stenosis. The ratio of tropo-AEAb (reflecting elastin synthesis) to alpha-AEAb (a function of elastin degradation) was 3.7 in symptomatic stenosis versus 14.2 in asymptomatic stenosis (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant difference in elastin metabolism in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis versus asymptomatic stenosis. The ratio of tropo-AEAb to alpha-AEAb as an index of elastin synthesis/degradation proves useful in investigation of atherosclerotic lesions and may represent a new immunologic marker for carotid plaque destabilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University Hospitals, Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK.
authors.forename: Plamen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tzvetanov
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University Hospitals, Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK.
authors.forename: Vish
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ibn-Sina Hospital, pob 25427, Safat 13115, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Jasem Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Al-Hashel
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Medical University of Pleven, Kliment Ohridski st 1, Pleven 5800, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atanasova
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University Hospitals, Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK.
authors.forename: Aman P S
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sohal
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ibn-Sina Hospital, pob 25427, Safat 13115, Kuwait. Electronic address: rossentrousseff@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Rossen T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Rousseff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D004549:Elastin / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D010455:Peptides; D004549:Elastin
keywords: Anti-alpha-elastin antibody; Anti-tropoelastin antibody; Carotid stenosis; Elastin-derived peptides; Stroke