Proteins associated with the size and expansion rate of the abdominal aortic aneurysm wall as identified by proteomic analysis.

Objectives: Identification of biomarkers for the natural history of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) holds the key to non-surgical intervention and improved selection for AAA repair. We aimed to associate the basic proteomic composition of AAA wall tissue with the expansion rate and size in patients with AAA.

Methods: A proteomic approach was used, consisting of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and mass spectrometry (MS) to identify differentially expressed proteins in AAA tissue.