Increased plasma levels of CATS mRNA but not CATB mRNA in patients with coronary atherosclerosis

• Published in: Clinical biochemistry Vol. 43; no. 18; pp. 1427 - 1430
• Main Authors: Stern, Irma, Marc, Janja, Kranjec, Igor, Zorman, Darko, Cerne, Andreja, Cerne, Darko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.12.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Aspirin - therapeutic use; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; CATB; Cathepsin B - genetics; Cathepsins - genetics; CATS; Coronary Artery Disease - blood; Coronary Artery Disease - drug therapy; Coronary atherosclerosis; Coronary heart disease; Female; Fibrinolytic Agents - therapeutic use; Heart; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; mRNA; Plasma; RNA, Messenger - blood; Plasma; CATS; Coronary atherosclerosis; SMC; mRNA; UA; SA; ACS; Ct; CATB; ACE inhibitors; AMI; PPIA; Human; Enzyme; Cysteine endopeptidases; Biological marker; Cardiovascular disease; Cathepsin S; Coronary heart disease; Blood plasma; Vascular disease; Peptidases; Messenger RNA; Atherosclerosis; Cathepsin B; Hydrolases; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0009-9120; 1873-2933; 1873-2933
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2010.09.017

We hypothesized that patients with coronary atherosclerosis have increased plasma levels of cathepsin S ( CATS) and cathepsin B ( CATB) mRNA, the genes that are involved in atherosclerotic plaque development and destabilization. mRNAs were isolated from plasma of 67 patients with coronary atherosclerosis (29 with stable angina, 38 with acute coronary syndrome) and 33 healthy subjects as controls, transcribed to cDNA and quantified by real-time PCR. Plasma levels were successfully measured in all samples. Patients with coronary atherosclerosis had 2.75 times higher plasma levels of CATS mRNA than controls (median 6.10 vs. 2.22; p < 0.001). No difference was observed in CATB mRNA levels (median 5.62 vs. 6.19; p = 0.866). Patients on therapy with statins and aspirin tended to have higher plasma levels of CATS mRNA than patients without statins and aspirin (median 6.41 vs. 4.27; p = 0.028). Further evaluation of plasma CATS mRNA levels in patients with coronary atherosclerosis is reasonable.