Usefulness of material recovered from distal embolic protection devices after carotid angioplasty for proteomic studies.

Purpose: To demonstrate the usefulness of biologic material obtained from distal embolic protection devices (DEPDs) used in carotid angioplasty for the study of atherosclerosis protein markers and to establish the effect of systemic inflammation on the protein expression of carotid atheromatous plaques.

Materials And Methods: Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry were used to study proteins obtained from debris captured in DEPDs from patients who underwent carotid angioplasty. In addition, protein expression obtained from angioplasty samples in patients with different types of systemic inflammation (measured by serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [CRP] with a cutoff value of 3 mg/L) was compared. Finally, immunohistochemistry of atherosclerotic plaques obtained by endarterectomy was used to validate the results obtained using DEPDs.

Results: Proteomic studies were successfully performed using debris from DEPDs. Protein expression differences were found in debris from patients with high systemic inflammation compared with debris from patients with low systemic inflammation. Annexin A5 (ANXA5), haptoglobin precursor, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, transgelin-2 (TAGLN2), and bisphosphoglycerate mutase were upregulated in debris from patients with high systemic inflammation, and proteasome subunit 8 beta type and glutathione-S-transferase kappa 1 (GSTK1) levels were higher in debris from patients with low levels of systemic inflammation.

Conclusions: Atherosclerotic plaque debris captured in DEPDs is a suitable and valid source of material for proteomic studies of atherosclerosis. Protein expression in DEPD debris is affected by systemic inflammation.