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.