title: Alpha-2-macroglobulin and heparin cofactor II and the vulnerability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques: An iTRAQ-based analysis.
abstract: Rupture of carotid atherosclerotic plaque may cause stroke, while few biomarker in clinic can evaluate carotid plaque vulnerability. In this study, we divided the recruited participants into no plaque, stable plaque, and vulnerable plaque group according to carotid ultrasonography, and screened the differentially expressed proteins in plasma of these participants using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation labeling coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. 28 proteins were identified differentially expressed, among which alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2M) and heparin cofactor II (HCII) were found to be at hub position in the interactions of these proteins by STRING analysis and were selected for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurement to assess their relevance with carotid plaques vulnerability and diagnostic efficiency. The plasma level of α2M was found positively correlated, while HCII level was negatively correlated with higher vulnerability of carotid plaques. Both proteins were efficient in differentiating stable and vulnerable carotid plaques. These findings provide potential new targets for the research of carotid plaque vulnerability. Plasma α2M and HCII may be potential biomarkers for evaluation of the vulnerability of carotid plaques if further studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
authors.forename: Jinmao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
authors.forename: Xueying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
authors.forename: Maojia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, No. 6 Hospital of Chongqing, Chongqing, 400010, China.
authors.forename: Changhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China. Electronic address: lifen_chen@163.com.
authors.forename: Lifen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015844:Heparin Cofactor II / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood*; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C578813:A2M protein, human; D015415:Biomarkers; C047932:SERPIND1 protein, human; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D015844:Heparin Cofactor II
keywords: Alpha-2-macroglobulin; Carotid atherosclerosis; Heparin cofactor II; Proteomics; iTRAQ