The Search for Associations of Serum Proteins with the Presence of Unstable Atherosclerotic Plaque in Coronary Atherosclerosis

To study the associations of blood proteins with the presence of unstable atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries of patients with coronary atherosclerosis using quantitative proteomics. The studies involved two groups of men with coronary atherosclerosis (group 1 (St) had only stable atherosclerotic plaques; group 2 (Ns) had only unstable atherosclerotic plaques, according to histological analysis of tissue samples); the average age of patients was 57.95 ± 7.22. Protein concentrations in serum samples were determined using the PeptiQuant Plus Proteomics Kit. The identification of protein fractions was carried out by monitoring multiple reactions on a Q-TRAP 6500 mass spectrometer combined with a liquid chromatograph. Mass spectrometric identification revealed in serum samples from patients with unstable atherosclerotic plaques a reduced concentration of proteins in the blood: α-1-acid glycoprotein, α-1-antichymotrypsin, α-1-antitrypsin, ceruloplasmin, hemopexin, haptoglobin, apolipoprotein B-100, apolipoprotein L1, afamin and complement component (C3, C7, C9). Moreover, at the same time a high concentration complements factor H and attractin. The differences were considered significant at p < 0.05. It was found that the instability of atherosclerotic plaques is associated with the concentration of proteins: afamin, attractin, components of the complement system, hemopexin and haptoglobin. The data of our study showed the association of some blood proteins with the instability of atherosclerotic plaques in coronary atherosclerosis. Their potential role in the development of this disease and the possibility of using the studied proteins as biomarkers requires further research.