Title
Endothelial marker proteins in hyperhomocysteinemia
Author
de Jong, S.C.
Stehouwer, C.D.A.
van den Berg, M.
Vischer, U.M.
Rauwerda, J.A.
Emeis, J.J.
Gaubius Instituut TNO
Publication year
1997
Abstract
Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with severe, premature atherosclerosis and thromboembolism. The mechanisms involved in the atherogenic and thrombotic complications of hyperhomocysteinemia are not understood. It has been suggested that hyperhomocysteinemia predisposes to atherosclerosis by injuring the vascular endothelium. Whether hyperhomocysteinema is independently associated with changed endothelial function, either in the absence or the presence of clinically manifest atherosclerotic disease, is, however, not known. Therefore we investigated, both in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease and in healthy individuals, whether plasma protein markers of endothelial function differed between subjects with, and subjects without hyperhomocysteinemia. We studied 80 individuals under the age of 56 years: healthy individuals with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) hyperhomocysteinemia and patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) hyperhomocysteinemia. The following endothelium-derived proteins were measured as markers of endothelial cell function: von Willebrand factor (vWf) and von Willebrand factor propeptide (vWf: AgII), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), cellular fibronectin (cFN) and thrombomodulin (TM). In addition we assessed C-reactive protein (CRP). vWf, vWf: AgII, tPA and CRP were significantly higher in the patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease than in the healthy individuals. No differences in marker protein plasma levels were found between individuals with, and those without hyperhomocysteinemia, apart from vWf, which was significantly raised in hyperhomocysteinemic as compared to normohomocysteinemic patients. We did not find any evidence for an independent association between hyperhomocysteinemia and protein markers of endothelial cell function in healthy subjects. Copyright © 1997 Schattauer Verlag
Subject
Adult
Antigens
Arterial Occlusive Diseases
Biological Markers
Blood Coagulation Factors
Endothelium, Vascular
Female
Fibronectins
Homocysteine
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
Risk Factors
Thrombomodulin
Tissue Plasminogen Activator
von Willebrand Factor
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1665406
TNO identifier
234110
ISSN
0340-6245
Source
Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 78 (5), 1332-1337
Document type
article