Proteomic serum profiles before and after lipoprotein apheresis in patients with peripheral artery disease with ulceration.

INTRODUCTION

The efficacy of lipoprotein apheresis (LA) in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has been primarily attributed to its anti-atherosclerotic effects through the adsorption of lipoproteins. However, the other potential effects of LA remain unknown. We evaluated changes in serum profiles before and after LA using a comprehensive analysis to explore the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Ten patients with leg ulcers were included from the LETS-PAD study, in which patients with lipoprotein-controlled PAD underwent LA. Serum samples collected at baseline and 1 month after LA were analyzed for proteomic changes.

RESULTS

Six patients exhibited ulcer epithelialization and skin perfusion pressure improvement. Proteomic analysis identified 2033 proteins. Fifty-five proteins showed significant differences. B-cell lymphoma protein-2 associated X (BAX) and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) were downregulated.

CONCLUSION

Serum BAX and CXCL10 levels significantly decreased after LA, which may be involved in the ulcer epithelialization mechanism of LA, which potentially acts through angiogenesis promotion.