Plasma levels of E-selectin in normolipemic and hyperlipemic arteriopathic patients.

Background: The authors studied the plasmatic levels of E-selectin in a group of normolipemic and hyperlipemic arteriopathic patients.
Methods: The series consisted of 73 subjects (53 male, 20 female, age 54 +/- 9) suffering from occlusive peripheral arteriopathy; 21 subjects with total cholesterol (TC) below 200 mg/dl were considered as normolipemics (group A), 24 subjects with TC between 200 and 240 mg/dl, mild hypercholesterolemics (group B), 18 with TC above 240 mg/dl, severe hypercholesterolemics (group C); 10 subjects had high triglyceride values (above 200 mg/dl), (group D); 12 normal controls were also considered. For each subject the determination of the E-selectin E-plasma levels was performed with an immunoenzymatic method (kit ELISA Amersham).
Results: In group A a value of E-s (4.03 +/- 0.37 ng/ml) statistically lower (p < 0.05) compared to normal controls (5.71 +/- 0.61 ng/ml) was found; in group B the E-s value (3.81 +/- 0.31 ng/ml) was slightly lower than that of group A; in group C the value of E-s was 3.53 +/- 0.23 ng/ml, statistically lower compared normal controls (p < 0.01) and to group A (p < 0.05); in group D the E-s value (3.24 +/- 0.23 ng/ml) was sharply reduced compared to controls (p < 0.01) and to groups A-B-C (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: The reduction or E-selectin, was proportional to the magnitude of total cholesterol and triglycerides; the chronicity of the vasculopathy and the dyslipidemia may be responsible for an impaired biosynthetic endothelial function.