Angiogenetic transcriptional profiling reveals potential targets modulated in blood of patients with cardiovascular disorders.

OBJECTIVES Based on the angiogenetic, transcriptional profile of non-diseased and arteriosclerotic vessels, we aim to identify the leucocytic markers as a potential, minimal invasive tool supporting diagnosis of vascular pathology. METHODS Transcriptional profiling was performed with Angiogenesis RT2 Profiler PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) array on three non-pathological and three arteriosclerotic vessels, followed by immunohistochemical staining. Based on these screening results, selected transcripts were employed for qPCR with specific primers and investigated on the blood RNA (RiboNucleic Acid) obtained from nine healthy controls and 29 patients with cardiovascular disorders. Thereafter, expression of these transcripts was investigated in vitro in human monocytes under calcification-mimicking conditions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Transcriptional profiling on the vessels revealed that out of 84 targets investigated two were up-regulated more than 100-fold, 18 more than 30 and 15 more than 10, while the most noticeable down-regulation was observed by ephrin-A3 and platelet-derived growth factor alpha (PDGFA) genes. Based on the vessel results, investigations of the selected blood transcripts revealed that thrombospondin 1 (THBS1), thrombospondin 3 (THBS3), transforming growth factor, beta receptor 1 (TGFBR1), platelet-derived growth factor alpha, plasminogen activator, urokinase (PLAU) and platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1) were significantly elevated in cardiovascular blood as compared to corresponding controls. Induction of calcification-related conditions in vitro to human THP-1 monocytes led to noticeable modulation of these transcripts. Taken together, these data demonstrate that leucocytic THBS1, THBS3, TGFBR1, platelet-derived growth factor alpha, PLAU and PECAM-1 have a correlation with cardiovascular disorders and could be used as a supportive tool predicting development of this pathological condition.