ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH RESTENOSIS OR ENDOTHELIAL ACTIVATION AFTER PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL ANGIOPLASTY

Objective. Restenosis following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) continues to be a major clinical problem. Anticardiolipin antibo dies (aCL) have been established as risk factors for venous or arteria l thrombosis. The aim of this study was to assess: a) the influence of positive aCL upon restenosis within 6 months after PTA, b) the possib ility of a seroconversion from negative to positive aCL after PTA and c) a possible link between positive aCL and endothelial activation. Ex perimental design. 71 patients (50 men and 21 women, age 68 +/- 13 yea rs) with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD, Fontaine II-IV) undergoing a successful PTA entered the study and were prospectively f ollowed for 3 and 6 months thereafter. Interventions. PTA was carried out successfully and noninvasive grading was done with duplex scanning . Laboratory investigation included aCL, thrombin generation markers, such as thrombin-antithrombin III complexes and prothrombin fragments 1 + 2, as well as thrombomodulin, soluble P-selectin, E-selectin and t he vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, as endothelial activation marker s. Results. 30/71 (42.3%) patients developed restenosis (> 50% reducti on of the lumen diameter) within 6 months after PTA. 9/71 (12.7%), had positive aCL IgG (19-35 GPL) and/or IgM (14-103 MPL) at all three mea surements. 2/9 (22.2%) of aCL positive and 28/62 (45.2%) of aCL negati ve patients had restenosis at 6 months after PTA (relative risk RR = 0 .51, 95%-Cl: 0.14-1.78, chi(2) non-significant). All other parameters did not differ between aCL-positive and -negative groups. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that: a) patients with PAOD have a slightly high er prevalence of positive aCL compared to the general population, but no association is evident between positive aCL and restenosis within 6 months after PTA, b) no seroconversion from negative to positive aCL occurred within 6 months after PTA, c) no association of aCL with endo thelial activation markers or thrombin generation markers was found.