title: Plasma netrin-1 levels significantly increase in smokers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Netrin-1 is a laminin like protein that has recently been suggested to involve in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and treatment targets. The relationship between netrin-1 and atherosclerosis has not been evaluated in a human research previously and the effect of smoking on plasma netrin-1 levels as well. In this study, we aimed to evaluate plasma netrin-1 levels in smokers and non-smokers and the impact of smoking on netrin-1 levels. Our second aim was to evaluate the existence of peripheral artery disease in these groups by means of ankle brachial index (ABI) measurements and the relation between plasma netrin-1 levels and peripheral artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Smoker and non-smoker male patients were contributed in the study, 112 males in each group. ABI of all patients was determined with an automatic device and plasma netrin-1 levels were quantified with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Netrin-1 levels were compared between smoker and non-smoker cases, and the cases with and without peripheral arterial disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma netrin-1 levels of smokers (4.54±2.87pg/mL) were significantly higher than in non-smokers (3.81±1.26pg/mL) (p=0.015). Similarly, netrin-1 levels of cases with peripheral arterial disease (6.21±2.16pg/mL) were significantly higher than the ones without peripheral arterial disease (4.07±2.16pg/mL) (p=0.002). Amount of smoking (packet⋅year) and ABI were found to be significantly related with netrin-1 levels. The relationship between PAD and netrin-1 levels remained significant after adjusting for smoking status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We can conclude that plasma netrin-1 levels significantly increase in smokers and peripheral artery disease is significantly related with netrin-1 levels after adjusting for smoking status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Selcuk University Medical Faculty, Konya/Turkey. Electronic address: muhammet-kizmaz@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Muhammet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kızmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Selcuk University Medical Faculty, Konya/Turkey.
authors.forename: Kamile
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marakoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Mevlana University Medical Faculty, Konya/Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kıyıcı
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Selcuk University Medical Faculty, Konya/Turkey.
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D000075388:Netrin-1; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000617351:NTN1 protein, human; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000075388:Netrin-1
keywords: Ankle brachial index; Atherosclerosis; Netrin-1; Smoking