CRP immunodeposition and proteomic analysis in abdominal aortic aneurysm

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 16; no. 8; p. e0245361
• Main Authors: Kim, Eun Na, Yu, Jiyoung, Lim, Joon Seo, Jeong, Hwangkyo, Kim, Chong Jai, Choi, Jae-Sung, Kim, So Ra, Ahn, Hee-Sung, Kim, Kyunggon, Oh, Se Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 24-08-2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Abdomen; Abdominal aneurysm; Aged; Analysis; Antibodies; Aorta; Aorta, Abdominal - metabolism; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - metabolism; Aortic aneurysms; Aortic dissection; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis - metabolism; Biology and Life Sciences; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Care and treatment; Coagulation; Complement system; Complications and side effects; Coronary vessels; Degeneration; Deposition; Diagnosis; Disease; Elastic layers; Female; Heart surgery; Humans; Hypertension; Immune system; Male; Medical schools; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Molecular modelling; Organs; Patients; Proteins; Proteomics; Proteomics - methods; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk factors; Signal transduction; Signal Transduction - physiology; Signaling; Up-Regulation - physiology; South Korea; United States > US
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245361

The molecular mechanisms of the degeneration of the aortic wall in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are poorly understood. The monomeric form of C-reactive protein (mCRP) is deposited in damaged cardiovascular organs and aggravates the prognosis; however, it is unknown whether mCRP is deposited in the degenerated aorta of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We investigated whether mCRP is deposited in AAA and examined the associated pathogenic signaling pathways.
Twenty-four cases of AAA were analyzed and their histological features were compared according to the level of serum CRP and the degree of mCRP deposition. Proteomic analysis was performed in AAA cases with strong and diffuse CRP immunopositivity (n = 7) and those with weak, focal, and junctional CRP immunopositivity (n = 3).
mCRP was deposited in the aortic specimens of AAA in a characteristic pattern that coincided with the lesion of the diminished elastic layer of the aortic wall. High serum CRP level was associated with stronger mCRP immunopositivity and a larger maximal diameter of aortic aneurysm. Proteomic analysis in AAA showed that multiple proteins were differentially expressed according to mCRP immunopositivity. Also, ingenuity pathway analysis showed that pathways associated with atherosclerosis, acute phase response, complement system, immune system, and coagulation were enriched in AAA cases with high mCRP immunopositivity.
AAA showed a characteristic deposition of mCRP, and multiple potentially pathologic signaling pathways were upregulated in AAA cases with strong CRP immunopositivity. mCRP and the aforementioned pathological pathways may serve as targets for managing the progression of AAA.