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Query: UMLS:C0004153 (atherosclerosis)
 77,401 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Increased levels of the endothelial markers soluble E-selectin (P = 0.011), soluble thrombomodulin (P < 0.0001) and von Willebrand factor (VWF, P < 0.0001) were found in 116 patients with ischaemic heart disease compared to an equal number of age- and sex-matched asymptomatic controls. In a multivariate analysis of the markers versus the major risk factors for atherosclerosis, VWF correlated with total cholesterol (P = 0.002) and E-selectin with sex (lower in women, P = 0.004) and triglycerides (P = 0.007). The data point to profound differences in the release mechanisms of these three endothelial cell products and suggests that further studies into the roles of these molecules in coronary artery disease are warranted.
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PMID:Circulating endothelial cell/leucocyte adhesion molecules in ischaemic heart disease. 890 79

We investigated the relation between atherosclerosis of common carotid artery measured by B-mode ultrasound sonography and vascular risk factors, in particular the coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters. A total of 118 patients without either hematological disease or symptomatic brain infarction are enrolled in this study. Vascular risk factors associated with increased intima-media thickness (IMT) of common carotid artery were advancing age, sex (male), systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. There was a significant correlation of IMT with the activity of von Willebrand factor (vW factor) which had a significant correlation with concentration of beta-thromboglobin (beta TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4). It has been reported that vW factor is a useful parameter for the evaluation of the extent of vascular involvement. vW factor in plasma and in the vessel wall is known to contribute appreciably to the platelet adherence, and to play a major role in the platelet aggregation particularly at high shear stress. In this study, we showed that plasma vW factor might enhance platelet aggregation. In addition, we revealed that plasma vW factor might reflect the injury of carotid artery wall and serve as a significant predictor of carotid atherosclerosis. There was a significant correlation of IMT with concentration of fibrinogen (Fbg), suggesting Fbg may play a role in atherogenesis by affecting local blood flow especially at the bifurcation. We reconfirmed that Fbg is a significant indicator of carotid atherosclerosis. Concentrations of beta TG and PF4 were significantly correlated with IMT. They are useful parameters of platelet activation and elevated in various angiopathies. These results, therefore, indicate that beta TG and PF4 also reflect the injury of carotid artery wall, and could be markers for carotid atherosclerosis.
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PMID:[Significance of the coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters as predictors for carotid atherosclerosis]. 893 94

Platelets are activated by contact with vascular lesions in high flow arteries and are involved in the development of thrombosis, atherosclerosis and the complications of transluminal angioplasty. Hence platelets are one the targets of pharmacological intervention in the prevention and treatment of arterial thrombosis. Understanding of the mechanisms of activation of platelet has enabled the development of new antiplatelet agents and the improvement of their therapeutic usage. The most recent clinical drugs and those currently under development belong to two main families: antagonists of the membrane receptors of activation coupled to signal transducting G proteins which fix circulating stimuli such as ADP, thrombin and TXA2 and inhibitors of the binding of adhesive proteins such as fibrinogen to the GPIIb-IIIa integrin or of von Willebrand factor to the leucine-rich glycoprotein complex GPIb-V-IX.
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PMID:[Mechanisms of platelet activation and development of antiplatelet agents]. 909 10

To investigate whether there are differences in haematology and coagulation indices in arterial and venous plasma, and whether those changes related to damage to the endothelium in atherosclerosis, we obtained blood samples from 22 subjects undergoing diagnostic angiography. There were no differences in any of the 15 routine haematological indices measured. There were no differences in prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, tissue plasminogen activator, D-dimer, leucocyte elastase, soluble P-selectin or von Willebrand factor. In venous samples, von Willebrand factor was lower in serum than in plasma (p < 0.0001). Levels of the tissue plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (tPA/PAI-1) complex were markedly higher in arterial blood than in venous blood (p = 0.004) and plasma viscosity was higher in venous blood (p = 0.0014). Consequently, with the exception of viscosity and the tPA/PAI complex, we can find no differences in arterial blood compared to venous blood which can contribute to the debate regarding the mechanism of damage to arterial endothelial cells but the relative protection of venous endothelial cells from injury in atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Haematology and coagulation indices in paired samples of arterial and venous blood from patients with arterial disease. 911 85

Soluble P-selectin (CD62P) may arise from platelets, the endothelium, or both, and raised levels are found in those with thrombotic disease and atherosclerosis. To determine whether these increased levels in atherosclerosis are related to hypercholesterolaemia, blood samples were obtained from 86 patients (43 with symptomatic vascular disease) attending a hypercholesterolaemia clinic, and 86 age- and sex-matched controls. Parallel measurement of endothelial cell product von Willebrand factor helped define the origin of sP-selectin. Using ELISAs, soluble P-selectin was higher (median 290 ng/ml, range 80-735, P < 0.05) in patients with vascular disease than in both patients with uncomplicated hypercholesterolaemia (median 210 ng/ml, range 55-550), and controls (median 190 ng/ml, range 48-500). Von Willebrand factor was raised in both patients with uncomplicated hypercholesterolaemia (115 +/- 26 IU/dl, P < 0.05) and patients with hypercholesterolaemia and vascular disease (129 +/- 32 IU/dl, P < 0.02) compared with controls (102 +/- 30 IU/dl). Levels of soluble P-selectin did not correlate with von Willebrand factor, total low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) or high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or triglycerides levels, blood pressure or smoking, but von Willebrand factor correlated with LDL cholesterol (r = 0.42, P < 0.05). We conclude that plasma lipoproteins are not a major influence on levels of soluble P-selectin.
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PMID:Soluble P-selectin in hyperlipidaemia with and without symptomatic vascular disease: relationship with von Willebrand factor. 916 22

Damage to the endothelium is believed to be important in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Consequently, vascular biologists are seeking good markers of endothelial cell function which hope to provide tools to dissect the role of these cells in disease. This review will examine a number of endothelial cell products (thrombomodulin, von Willebrand factor and soluble E-selectin) and discuss their value as markers of vascular integrity.
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PMID:Soluble markers of endothelial cell function. 918 53

The vascular endothelium is involved in the production of many important substances which are involved in a cardiovascular pathophysiology. One such substance which is synthesised by, and stored in, endothelial cells is von Willebrand factor (vWf). When released, vWf appears to mediate platelet aggregation and adhesion. Numerous clinical and experimental reports suggest that high vWf levels reflect damage to the endothelium or endothelial dysfunction. The close association between vWf and the processes of thrombus formation (thrombogenesis) or atherogenesis also suggests that high vWf levels may be a useful indirect indicator of atherosclerosis and/or thrombosis. The availability of a useful marker of endothelial dysfunction may have potential clinical value. The measurement of such a marker can perhaps be a non-invasive way of assisting in clinical diagnosis or as an indicator of disease progression. High vWf levels have also been shown to have prognostic value in patients with ischaemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and inflammatory vascular disease. However, there is limited information that increased vWf is actually casual in the progression of vascular disease and that measures aimed at reducing vWf levels will be beneficial. In addition, interpretation of raised plasma vWf levels is complicated by the fact that vWf may be an acute phase reactant. Further research is indicated to explore the predictive value of this marker in population studies and, perhaps, therapeutic approaches in (and the value of) modifying vWf levels or function.
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PMID:von Willebrand factor: a marker of endothelial dysfunction in vascular disorders? 920 37

von Willebrand factor and soluble thrombomodulin are established plasma markers of endothelial cell dysfunction, whilst beta thromboglobulin is an established plasma marker of platelet activity. Soluble P-selectin may be the product of either or both types of cell and levels of all four molecules have been previously found to be increased in atherosclerosis. To determine the relationship of soluble P-selectin to the endothelial cell and platelet products, we measured the four indices in a case control study of 55 patients with peripheral vascular disease and 55 age and sex matched controls. von Willebrand factor (p < 0.0001), beta thromboglobulin (p = 0.0006), soluble P-selectin (p = 0.0021) and soluble thrombomodulin (p = 0.021) were all raised in the patients. Soluble P-selectin correlated with beta thromboglobulin (r = 0.34, p = 0.019) but failed to correlate with either endothelial cell marker. Co-culture of endothelial cells in vitro with bovine thrombin resulted in increased levels of von Willebrand factor in the supernatants but levels of soluble thrombomodulin and soluble P-selectin were not enhanced. Exposure of endothelial cell monolayers to elastase resulted in different patterns of release of von Willebrand factor, soluble thrombomodulin and soluble P-selectin. We suggest that soluble P-selectin is unlikely to arise from the endothelium and may be a new marker of platelet activation in atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Soluble P-selectin in atherosclerosis: a comparison with endothelial cell and platelet markers. 924 35

Two specific endothelial cell products, von Willebrand factor and soluble E-selectin, were measured together with serum lipids, lipoprotein(a), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SHP, DBP) in a follow up study of 162 patients attending a dedicated lipid clinic. Patients were further classified by the presence or absence of symptomatic vascular disease and smoking. After a mean of 49 months, 45 patients experienced a cardiovascular event (fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or arterial surgery) and 11 developed non-cardiovascular diseases, including cancer. In univariate analysis, existing vascular disease (P < 0.01), increased levels of von Willebrand factor (P < 0.0001) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.02), greater age (P < 0.01), and lower levels of soluble E-selectin (P < 0.03) were all predictive of future vascular events. However, in multivariate analysis, only increased von Willebrand factor was predictive (P < 0.001). von Willebrand factor was also higher in patients who developed non-cardiovascular disease relative to those free of disease (P < 0.05). Our data support the hypothesis that increased levels of von Willebrand factor are an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with atherosclerosis or its risk factors.
Atherosclerosis 1997 Jul 25
PMID:von Willebrand factor and soluble E-selectin in the prediction of cardiovascular disease progression in hyperlipidaemia. 924 60

Homocystinuria due to cystathionine beta-synthase (CS) deficiency is the most common inborn error of methionine metabolism. Patients with CS-deficiency have an extremely high risk of vascular disease. The underlying mechanism is still unsolved. Dysfunction of endothelial cells could be the trigger in the formation of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Therefore, differences in cell function were studied between normal and CS-deficient human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs). Total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in culture media as a measure of homocysteine export increased in all cell lines, including the cell line with CS-deficiency, with constant amounts of approximately 2.5 microM every 24 h. von Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) in culture media were used as markers of endothelial function and increased also with progression of culture time. The effects of additions of folate, vitamin B6 and methionine to the culture medium were studied. The homocysteine export and the markers of endothelial function did not differ between the control and the CS-deficient HUVECs under various test conditions. These data show that CS-deficient endothelial cells have normal homocysteine export and normal endothelial cell function. In CS-deficient patients the very high blood levels of homocysteine, probably due to deficient CS function in liver and kidney, seems to be the hazardous factor to endothelial cells, thus promoting atherosclerosis and thrombosis in CS-deficient patients.
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PMID:Homocysteine metabolism in endothelial cells of a patient homozygous for cystathionine beta-synthase (CS) deficiency. 926 79


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