Relationships of Leg Ischemia Symptoms and Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis with Hypertensive-Disorders-of-Pregnancy-Associated Peptides in Patients with Lower Extremity Arterial Disease.

We have proposed seven peptides with low molecular weights in blood as biomarkers for the diagnosis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationships of the HDP-associated peptides with symptoms of leg ischemia and degree of atherosclerosis in patients with lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD). The subjects were 165 outpatients with LEAD (145 men and 20 women aged 74.3 ± 8.1 years [47-93 years]). Their symptoms of leg ischemia, leg arterial flow, and degree of atherosclerosis were evaluated using the Rutherford classification of Clinical Ischemia Category, ankle-brachial index (ABI) and the intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries, respectively. Serum concentrations of the HDP-related peptides were measured by mass spectrometry. The grade of the Rutherford classification was positively associated with levels of the peptides with m/z 2091 and 2378 and was inversely associated with levels of the peptide with m/z 2081. The category of the Rutherford classification was inversely associated with ABI. There were no HDP-associated peptides that showed significant relationships with IMT. The peptides with m/z 2081, 2091, and 2378 are possible biomarkers of leg ischemia but are not associated with carotid atherosclerosis in LEAD patients.