Researchers are reporting that a key protein in the blood could allow the early identification of a severe form of peripheral artery disease, or P.A.D., a condition in which plaque buildup in the vessels restricts blood flow to the legs and other body parts. The finding could lead to earlier diagnosis and faster treatment of the condition, they say.
P.A.D. affects about 12 million people in the United States. In severe cases, those with the condition may need to have their legs amputated. Better ways to diagnose the condition and prevent its complications are needed, researchers say.
In the study, the researchers collected blood samples from 87 patients with P.A.D. before they underwent vascular surgery to treat chronic limb-threatening ischemia, a severe form of the condition. They found that elevated levels of a protein called circulating fatty acid synthase (cFAS), which plays a regulatory role in manufacturing fatty acids and appears to have an important role in plaque formation, is independently associated with the disease. When considered with other P.A.D. risk factors, high cFAS levels in the blood could help predict the presence of the disease with high accuracy, the researchers say. Until recently, the enzyme was thought to be found only inside of cells but not in the blood.
The researchers are currently developing a test kit for measuring cFAS in the blood. They are also investigating cFAS as a possible target for new drug therapies aimed at slowing plaque buildup in patients at high risk for severe P.A.D. Their study, funded in part by the NHLBI, appears in Scientific Reports, a publication of Nature.