SOLUBLE ADHESION MOLECULES, ENDOTHELIAL MARKERS AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK-FACTORS IN ABDOMINAL AORTIC-ANEURYSM - A COMPARISON WITH CLAUDICANTS AND HEALTHY CONTROLS

Development of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) may be a product of generalised atherosclerosis. If that is indeed the case, we would expe ct similarities in various risk factors and other markers in common wi th occlusive peripheral arterial disease (peripheral arterial disease) , and less congruity with healthy controls. To test this hypothesis, w e recorded the major risk factors for atherosclerosis, two markers of endothelial dysfunction, and soluble adhesion molecules in 21 patients with an uncomplicated AAA. free of symptomatic peripheral arterial di sease, 42 patients with peripheral arterial disease, and 42 healthy co ntrols who were matched, as a group, for age and sex. After adjusting for smoking, there were no significant differences in blood pressure, fibrinogen, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, soluble vascula r cell adhesion molecule-1 or lipoproteins between the groups. However , markers of endothelial integrity von Willebrand factor and soluble t hrombomodulin were both higher (P < 0.05) only in peripheral arterial disease patients. Relative to the controls, platelet marker soluble P- selectin was increased in AAA (P < 0.01) and in the peripheral arteria l disease patients (P < 0.05). Levels were higher in AAA patients than in peripheral arterial disease patients (P < 0.05). Our laboratory da ta suggest that the pathophysiology AAA and peripheral arterial diseas e are not identical. Blood Coag Fibrinol 9:479-484 (C) 1998 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.