A study of carotid atherosclerotic plaque and serum levels of YKL-40 and ox-LDL in patients with cerebral infarction

Objective To investigate the relationship of serum levels of human cartilage glycoprotein 39 (YKL-40) and oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) with carotid atherosclerotic plaque in patients with cerebral infarction.Methods The levels of serum YKL-40 and ox-LDL were measured by enzyme immunoassay in 35 normal controls and 130 patients with acute cerebral infarction.Patients with acute cerebral infarction were divided into intima media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid group (30 cases),intima media thickened group (30 cases),plaque group (70 cases) according to their carotid artery sonography.Patients in the plaque group were divided into stable plaque group (33 cases) and unstable plaque group (37 cases).The serum levels of YKL-40 and ox-LDL were determined and compared among different groups.Results Serum levels of YKL-40 and ox-LDL in patients with acute cerebral infarction were (53.61 ± 27.63) ng/ml and (526.58 ± 207.39) mg/L,respectively; which were significantly increased compared to normal control subjects [(25.18 ± 12.69) ng/ml and (301.43 ± 107.53) mg/L,P ＜0.01].Among patients with acute cerebral infarction,the serum levels of YKL-40 and ox-LDL in carotid artery atherosclerosis group were (66.75 ± 28.29) ng/ml and (647.05 ± 198.54) mg/L,respectively;which were significantly increased compared to those of IMT of the common carotid group [(33.23 ±13.06) ng/ml and (366.43 ± 77.51) mg/L,P ＜ 0.01].The serum levels of YKL-40 and ox-LDL in unstable plaque group were (94.87 ± 20.86) ng/ml and (812.47 ± 150.12) mg/L,respectively; which were significantly increased compared to stable plaque group [(59.34 ± 19.17)ng/ml and (609.66 ± 112.96)mg/L,P ＜ 0.01].Serum levels of YKL-40 was significantly linearly correlated with those of ox-LDL (r =0.45,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The serum levels of YKL-40 and ox-LDL were significantly increased in patients with cerebral infarction compared to the normal the degree of carotid artery atherosclerosis and instability of atherosclerotic plaque.Patients with serious carotid artery atherosclerosis and instable plaque had higher serum levels of YKL-40 and ox-LDL.The serum levels of YKL-40 were positively correlated with oxLDL. Key words: Brain infarction; Carotid artery diseases; Atherosclerosis; Glycoproteins/blood; Lipoproteins,LDL/blood