Antibodies against malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde adducts can help identify patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm.
OBJECTIVE
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a pathologic dilation of the aorta. Inflammation of the aortic wall has been shown to be involved in AAA formation. Malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde (MAA) adducts are MAA/protein hybrids with immunogenic, proinflammatory, and profibrotic properties. Levels of MAA adducts are elevated in patients with coronary artery disease; however, the role of MAA adducts in AAA is unclear. We hypothesize that levels of circulating antibodies against MAA adducts are increased in patients with AAA.


METHODS
Plasma samples were collected from mice and patients with AAA and control patients with atherosclerosis but not AAA. AAA was induced in mice by a standard CaCl2 protocol, with matching sham mice. Plasma levels of anti-MAA antibodies were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Patients with AAA exhibited higher levels of immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A anti-MAA antibody subtypes (P = .049 and .026, respectively) compared with control patients. Conversely, immunoglobulin M anti-MAA antibodies in AAA patients were lower compared with control patients (P = .018). In CaCl2-treated mice, immunoglobulin G anti-MAA antibodies were elevated after AAA formation (P = .006).


CONCLUSIONS
The pattern of anti-MAA antibodies is able to distinguish between patients with AAA and patients with atherosclerosis but no AAA. These results demonstrate that MAA adducts are associated with AAA and suggest that they may play a role in either initiating or propagating chronic inflammation in AAA.
Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.
Jeffrey S
JS
Carson
Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.
Wanfen
W
Xiong
Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.
Matthew
M
Dale
Department of Biostatistics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.
Fang
F
Yu
Experimental Immunology Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Neb; Experimental Immunology Laboratory, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.
Michael J
MJ
Duryee
Experimental Immunology, Research in Cardiovascular Disease Laboratory, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.
Daniel R
DR
Anderson
Experimental Immunology Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Neb; Experimental Immunology Laboratory, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.
Geoffrey M
GM
Thiele
Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb. Electronic address: btbaxter@unmc.edu.
B Timothy
BT
Baxter
D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000276:immunology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002122:Calcium Chloride; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000276:immunology*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015854:Up-Regulation
D015415:Biomarkers; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D000079:Acetaldehyde; D002122:Calcium Chloride